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Strength in the Gospel is paradoxical because it talks about being strong in weakness, which is opposite to the beliefs of this world.
St Paul says: "When I'm weak, then I'm strong."
How is it then? This is the key: strong is he who knows himself to be weak, and so, because he knows he is weak, stands himself on a rock, on "the Rock".
Therefore strength is a gift we ask for with great humility.
We ask for this gift as volunteers. Alicia Fuertes reminds us what it is like to be a volunteer: ". Being a volunteer is to step into the street, into a house, a hospital, a town, a shelter or a village where there are people that suffer. Being a volunteer is to step into the heart, the heart of that one who is going through rough times."
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Taking this into account, strength is the gift which enables us to express our faith among contradictions and dangers. It's the gift that perfects the virtue of hope.
In extreme situation when hope is on the verge of exhaustion, because we experience fear, closeness to death or pain, hope turns into a heroic demonstration of strength. It is important to remember that strength is not within us.
Let's wish we shall never feel like a "strong vessel" in our job in Manos Abiertas or in our lives, because that day, we would have experienced failure. Let's wish we were always aware of (experience a deep and painful sense of) frailty: personal frailty, frailty of means, frailty towards the others, frailty as an institution.
As every project in Manos Abiertas develops, we tend to say that we are becoming stronger, and it is true. But we should always become stronger while recognizing that we are still weak, because weak are the hearts of those who form Manos Abiertas. The frailty and greatness of our projects are given by the hearts of those who are within them.
Which is the vice contrary to strength? What we mistakenly call "respect to others". It is a certain degree of cowardice brought about by excessive self esteem and complacency; which leads us to avoid all sorts of tests, humiliations, sufferings and difficulties at all costs.
Here arises the idea of the strength of the Spirit in our fragility, in our fear not to be able to achieve anything. It is highly important to understand how God makes Himself present with His grace every time we feel tempted to give up. Jesus promised it to Paul: "My grace is enough", because strength shows itself perfect in weakness.
P. Ángel Rossi S.J.
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Peace might have been the biggest obsession of Jesus in his Resurrection and also, along his life.
His most important message is peace. "Peace be with you", "I leave you peace", "I am peace"
These simple words are repeated by Jesus over and over again but, at the same time, seem to be too difficult for the world to understand in times of such violence. It is important to highlight what Cabodevilla used to say: "Let us not take aggressiveness for violence."
The first thing we have to make clear is that when we talk about violence, we talk about a specific thing in a negative way; whereas aggressiveness is something generic, potential and neutral. Violence is bad, but some aggressiveness can be good. That is, we all have some degree of aggressiveness inside. It is necessary for us to be aggressive.
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We can talk about apostolic aggressiveness, for example, and we pray (asking) to have some of it. We all have aggressive impulses and some of them are good. We can say that it is possible that this aggressiveness help(s) in the development of life: our daily lives and Life with capital letter. We want this possibility to be enjoyed by ourselves and by the world.
The other possibility is that this aggressiveness be oriented towards death. Then, it becomes a sad and miserable act of violence in all its possible forms. Starting with our miserable domestic violence in the shape of a rude word, a stiff expression, an unsaid "hello", a two-week frozen dialogue and all other shapes of cruelty we can think of.
We don't have to be Bin Ladens or Bush … we can also throw some of our own "missiles". We also know of sly attacks. Sometimes we become terrorists in our own homes.
The tame are the ones who have succeed in beating violence in their own heart.
A pacific man or woman becomes "shade" and "shelter" that tends and protects the others. This is the beautiful image of our Lord Jesus in the Resurrection. We should ask for this gift with confidence, without being scared of not being able to change, because Peace is not a gift granted and guaranteed; it is a process.
Becoming a peaceful person is achieved throughout time. Peaceful people are those who are not irritated by setbacks. They can feel (the) annoyance, but they do not lose their tempers. "Their souls never get angry", says Cabodevilla. They are those kinds of persons who do not become conceited and glowing when praised; who are not exalted by nice, successful or prosperous achievements of their own; as we commonly say: "They never get worked-up".
A tame and pacific person neither despairs in pain, nor dissipates in frenzy. The tame is paradoxically a great warrior. He maintains a daring fight against himself.
I insist, it is a struggle to be carried out throughout life, a fight which demands infinite courage. It is said that to love in a peaceful way is twice as difficult. In the same way, as God's omnipotence is manifested by his mercifulness, human strength is shown through gentleness.
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