As part of my effort to carve out personal and prayer time before the kids wake up, I am reading daily meditations from In Conversation With God, by Fr. Francis Fernandez. Every once in a while I will share something I read which resonates with me.
Photo by Gabriele Agrillo on Unsplash
“Oh it’s the *Meek*…blessed are the Meek! That’s nice, I’m glad they’re getting something, ’cause they have a hell of a time.” Monty Python’s Life of Brian (an irreverent but hilarious movie with superb social commentary).
Today’s meditation is about meekness. How I have struggled with that word. For the longest time I equated meekness with being a pushover, a coward, and a weakling. I would think: the louder, the stronger. This mistaken understanding has caused me a lot of pain throughout the years. Rather, it has caused those close to me a lot of pain, as they have had to deal with my outbursts and hot temper.
Meek is such a misunderstood word. Rather than describing a person who is easily imposed upon or trampled on, a meek person is a person who has strength under control. At least, this is what I now understand meekness to be. It’s the strong, silent type.
Fr. Fernandez writes that “meekness does not go with being feeble or characterless. On the contrary, it is founded on great spiritual strength. The very practice of this virtue calls for continuous acts of such strength…the meek are those who are truly strong.”
This is not to say that there isn’t a time and a place for righteous anger, but that “meekness controls and directs it, so that it is aroused only when necessary and to the extent to which it is necessary.”
Elsewhere he writes that “we must not make the mistake of thinking that this ‘bad temper’ of ours, which bursts out in very definite circumstances and times, depends on the character of the people around us. Meekness is particularly necessary in circumstances where living with other people is very difficult.” This really hits home. I often say that the reason I’m irritable is because I live with irrational, demanding human beings (aka children). But no. This is a character flaw which I must overcome by developing virtue within myself, and not others.
If I am meek, I will be better able to be gentle and loving with others, and face the daily hardships with good humor. I will not get angry and irritable over little things which do not matter in the long run, and instead replace those reactions with silence and a smile. I will be able to channel my anger appropriately, waiting for the right moment to correct a fault. This is how I would love to relate with my children!
No wonder Jesus said that the meek shall inherit the earth.
