Chapter 3: In the Light of the Master
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
These are strong words in a world that from the beginning has been a place of conflict, disputes, and enmity on all sides, where we constantly pigeonhole others on the basis of their ideas, their customs and even their way of speaking or dressing. Ultimately it is the reign of pride and vanity, where each person thinks he or she has the right to dominate others. Nonetheless, impossible as it may seem, Jesus proposes a different way of doing things: the way of meekness.
Christ says, “Learn from me; for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” If we are constantly upset and impatient with others, we will end up drained and weary. But if we regard faults and limitations of others with tenderness and meekness, without an air of superiority, we can actually help them and stop wasting our energy on useless complaining. St. Therese of Lisieux tells us that “perfect charity consists in putting up with others’ mistakes and not being scandalized by their faults.”