Pope John XXIII helps you desire humility (a virtue) + simplicity...

Thanks Michael Brown of Spiritdaily for your headline article.

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NEW SAINT JOHN XXIII HAD SURPRISINGLY SIMPLE INTERIOR LIFE AND SAID HE SUFFERED FROM VATICAN PRETENSIONS

In a newly released book of his meditations and notes, Pope John XXIII -- now Saint John XXIII -- accented the crucial nature of humility and said he often found a dearth of it in the Church hierarchy -- a surprising admission.

"All the wise men of this world, all the wily ones of the earth, even Vatican diplomats... make such a bad impression when seen in the light of simplicity and grace emanating from this great and fundamental teaching of Jesus and His saints!" he wrote, speaking of humility, in The Secret To Happiness (which we happily recommend).

"My colleagues are good ecclesiastics.

"I appreciate their excellent qualities; I am very fond of them and they deserve every good.

"But I suffer much in relation to them," he wrote. "On some days and in some circumstances I am tempted to react strongly.

"But I prefer silence, believing it to be a more eloquent and effective instruction."

Interesting stuff; guidance for us all.

How much has worldliness -- and the pride of worldliness -- infiltrated various dioceses? Are bishops humble? Are priests?

Are we?

While the deep spiritual life of this Pontiff has been obscured by the controversies (and aftereffects) of Vatican II (some of which we do indeed contemplate), the depth of John XXIII's spirituality is in no doubt after reading this valuable little book. In particular, the new saint put special emphasis precisely on littleness. The littleness that sees others as big. Seeing the best in others, he said, gives one peace.

"My character is inclined toward compliance and to readily seeing the good side of people and things rather than criticizing and judging harshly," wrote the late Pope, in notations recorded through the years, including before his elevation to the Throne of Peter. "Any type of ill treatment or distrust shown toward anyone, but especially toward the humble, the poor, the lowly; every harsh and thoughtless judgment causes me pain and great suffering."

When we rid pride, indicated John XXIII, there is room for grace. With grace comes hope. When we have hope, we are strong. When we lose hope, we lose strength.

Pride enervates. It saps our energy. It is often the root of negativity. Pride separates us. It is false strength. Humility is true power.

Ridding pride frees us. So does doing God's Will -- and caring about little but that. When we rid pride we gain in charity.

"The surest way to my personal sanctification and successful service to the Holy See is the constant effort to reduce everything -- principles, objectives, position, business -- to the utmost simplicity and tranquility," he wrote, "to always prune my vineyard of useless leaves and tendrils and concentrate on truth, justice, and charity, but above all charity. Every other way of acting is pretension and a search for personal affirmation, which soon reveals itself as absurd and burdensome."

Complexity is inferior, always, to the simplicity of wisdom.

Wisdom has no earthly attachments.

Despite what would occur in his life, despite what would become an exalted existence, despite world fame, the core of this Supreme Pontiff was about doing the Will of God and he was ready, as he underscores, to suffer any "tribulation."

The Lord caused him, he said, to "feel the beauty and sweetness of the spirit of poverty."...


www.spiritdaily.com...

a reply to: colbe

Is this supposed to excuse them for abusing children?

What does "GOD" have to say about sexual molestation.

The Pope can take his BS and shove it up his ass!!!!!

a reply to: colbe

There have been may good and many bad men in the church but I believe he was one of the good one's, though only the lord may judge,.
Thank you for this thread.

a reply to: minusinfinity

wow You can read the subject matter of the post and all that. But simply because it has the word pope you start screaming child molester.

just wow, thanks for the reminder that people do bad things next time try and focus on something good! kthx

originally posted by: minusinfinity
a reply to: colbe

Is this supposed to excuse them for abusing children?

What does "GOD" have to say about sexual molestation.

The Pope can take his BS and shove it up his ass!!!!!

This is such a positive post and all you can do is bring up something in which this man isn't involved. You are a big part of the problem in this world.

How long will man worship man? The Vatican is a pit of rotting corpses.

originally posted by: BELIEVERpriest
How long will man worship man? The Vatican is a pit of rotting corpses.

I am not Catholic or even Christian, but I am able to see the wisdom and kindness of this man and many of the good people in the church.

a reply to: Metallicus

The vatican uses shiney "good" deeds as bate to lure people into worshiping the Pope and cannonized saints. Thats fine by me if people want to reduce charity to a burecratic institution, but the vatican uses the Bible to justfy their filth. The Bible tells us NOT to be "respectors of men" and NOT to worship carved images. What does the vatican promote? Praying to "saints", repecting the Pope and priests as God's voice, and bowing before statues.

They are a white washed tomb full of rotting flesh.

Wow! I am so happy reading most of these posts. God bless us all.

Satan = PRIDE, the first sin

God = HUMILITY and the Creator of all is perfectly complex and at the same time so simple

Typical.

The guy offers a critical analysis of the lack of humility displayed by some members of his own priesthood...

...and you viciously attack him for it?

We would do well if more church leaders, across denominations, were as self-reflective.