Lesson about meekness
Rafael L. Oriel, Jr.
12 Mar 2008
Ms. Ric, it is very unfortunate that the CBCP put the blame of moral decay on the Filipino people. They conveniently ignored the fact that one of the responsibilities of religious leaders as excellent shepherds is to strengthen the moral and spiritual values of their flock by guiding them to Him who sends them.
If there is a moral decay, it means they failed big time in their responsibility, di ba? It means, they were not able to bring all or majority of their flock closer to the Lord our God.
From what I understand, one of the attributes of people who have unwavering relationship with their God is meekness. Moral decay is a symptom or indication of emptiness in the relationship.
In his previous post, Mr. Carrera asked, “Will meekness as suggested by some posters solve the problems plaguing the country?” I answered in the affirmative because I know that one of the eight sayings known as the Beatitudes is “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth”.
I firmly believe that each of the eight sayings is a promise to those who can fulfill a certain moral ideal. The Lord our God will certainly bless them. He said, “Those who are meek shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.”
About 90% of more than 80 million Filipinos identify themselves as Christians. If all or majority of us can fulfill that moral ideal, then it will definitely solve the problems plaguing our beloved country.
One of the big problems though is that people no longer see meekness as a virtue. They consider it as a weakness because they want to show to the world that they are tough or macho. They strongly believe that riches and glory, conquest and possession can be theirs if they are tough, full of strength, authority and power. In contrast, our beloved Jesus Christ said, “I am meek and lowly in heart.”
This reminds me of story I learned about meekness. The story goes this way.
During the American Revolution a man in civilian clothes rode past a group of soldiers repairing a small defensive barrier. Their leader was shouting instructions, but making no attempt to help the soldiers. The man in civilian clothes asked the leader why and, he retorted with great dignity, “Sir, I am a corporal!”
The stranger apologized, dismounted, and proceeded to help the exhausted soldiers. When the job was done, he turned to the corporal and said, “Mr. Corporal, next time you have a job like this and not enough men to do it, go to your Commander-in -Chief, George Washington, and I will come and help you again.”
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