"Nor is it in any way good for persons to complain if they see their Order in some decline; rather, they should strive to be the kind of rock on which the edifice may again be raised, for the Lord will help toward that."- St. Teresa of Jesus
It is easier to complain about some flaws instead of making them better. Sometimes I find myself doing just that. It is easy to pass over an opportunity to do something because "it is not my job" or under cover of "I was not told to do it." But the more I think of it, the more I realize that one truth about belonging to a family- whether that be blood family or religious family- is that we are each responsible and accountable for its betterment or its decline. I have learned to practice the virtues I want to see in others instead of lamenting the lack of them. I realize that in this life I really have no control over how others will behave but I have full control over mine. There is such wisdom in what Jesus said about noticing the mote in others eyes and not noticing the gnat in ours. I also remember what our Lord said to the Apostle John. "your business is to follow Me." St. Teresa's invitation is not a call to self-righteousness but a call to be faithful to the covenant we each made with God in whatever state of life we belong. However bad things turn out to be, God can turn it around, if He finds even just a few faithful people who stand their ground in the midst of a storm.
photo courtesy: www.medtogo.com/hurricane_
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