Pretty Imperfect

A Reflection on the Second Reading for Sunday, September 10th, 2023:
​Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time 

---

Romans
​13.8-10 
​
Brothers and sisters: Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbour as yourself.”

Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

Pause. Pray. Reflect.

Saint Paul seems to be saying here that I can abide by the commandments simply by loving others in the way I want to be loved. That almost seems too simple. It is not that hard for me to take the steps needed to prevent me from committing adultery, or stealing, or murdering others. And because I consider myself to be a good person, I believe that most days I love my fellow humans. However, when I reflect on what the outcome would be if I truly did love my neighbour as myself, it is not very pretty.

If I am being perfectly honest with myself, I move through this world wanting to be liked by others, and sometimes that desire shapes how I love. It might even become the motivation behind what I think is an act of love, and occasionally it prevents me from being obedient to the prompts of the Holy Spirit to act. This underlying desire to be liked by others prevents me from loving others the way I am called to love and shows a lack of faith in God, Who is the perfect definition of love. I am called to love in the same way He loves me in my perfectly imperfect state.
​
He has provided me with every gift and talent He needs me to have to fulfill His law, and when I join my heart to His, He provides the grace I need to courageously love others in the same way He loves me. To do this, I need humility. I must use every opportunity to practise gratitude, to lay down my life for others, to risk rejection, to not be recognized and yes, perhaps not even liked. I am called to humble obedience. I am called to love.


O Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, O Jesus. 
From the desire of being loved,
Deliver me, O Jesus. 
From the desire of being extolled,
Deliver me, O Jesus. 
From the desire of being honoured,
Deliver me, O Jesus. 
From the desire of being praised,
Deliver me, O Jesus. 
From the desire of being preferred to others,
Deliver me, O Jesus. 
From the desire of being consulted,
Deliver me, O Jesus. 
From the desire of being approved,
Deliver me, O Jesus. 
From the fear of being humiliated,
Deliver me, O Jesus. 
From the fear of being despised,
Deliver me, O Jesus. 
From the fear of suffering rebukes,
Deliver me, O Jesus. 
From the fear of being calumniated,
Deliver me, O Jesus. 
From the fear of being forgotten,
Deliver me, O Jesus. 
From the fear of being ridiculed,
Deliver me, O Jesus. 
From the fear of being wronged,
Deliver me, O Jesus. 
From the fear of being suspected,
Deliver me, O Jesus. 

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. 
That others may be esteemed more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. 
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. 
That others may be chosen and I set aside,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. 
That others may be praised and I go unnoticed,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. 
That others may be preferred to me in everything,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. 
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it. 
Amen.

(Litany of Humility)




​Originally posted on September 3rd, 2020, by Sandy Graves

---