tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13522238.post815387681321245162..comments2024-03-28T17:53:43.541-04:00Comments on DarwinCatholic: 'UmbleDarwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08572976822786862149noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13522238.post-60725704764416137822019-08-31T22:38:03.234-04:002019-08-31T22:38:03.234-04:00You're a performer. Of course you want to acco...You're a performer. Of course you want to accomplish concrete things and to be noticed. The performing gift isn't given for oneself, but for others. It isn't fully used unless it is used for things performed and finished. It's not wrong; it's not even ego-oriented, necessarily.<br /><br />And of course it's disappointing to see a project that needs doing, and not be able to do it, or to know that something has been done or improved (even incrementally).Bansheehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12594214770417497135noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13522238.post-38913283381935415032019-08-22T08:06:17.862-04:002019-08-22T08:06:17.862-04:00I have had several instances lately of feeling the...I have had several instances lately of feeling the frustration of not being superhuman, and of God's call not playing out how I expected. (Viz: my attempts to transform religious ed.) I think it's a sign of my wanting to do the big thing and see dramatic results -- a textbook under my name, containing my unique insights! an exciting new parish religion program, with returns of 30- or 60- or 100-fold! -- instead of, as you say, using the gifts without being the direct, obvious beneficiary of the results<br /><br />I have a great affinity with the Elder Son, and something I realized recently is that whereas the Younger Son, the prodigal, wants to know if he's forgiven, the Elder Son wants to know, "Does anyone even care what I'm doing? Am I <i>seen</i>?" And human understanding isn't enough, because everyone has their own blindnesses. It seems odd at this stage of the Christian game to wonder, essentially, "Does God love me?" (when one drills down to the core of the matter), but I assume that it's a common problem, or Jesus wouldn't assure us of it so much.<br /><br />And then, after I wrote this post yesterday, I read the "Descended into Hell" section of Introduction to Christianity by Ratzinger, which touched exactly on this point in such a cogent way. I really can't recommend this book enough.MrsDarwinhttp://darwincatholic.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13522238.post-18935701136359243592019-08-21T21:18:42.565-04:002019-08-21T21:18:42.565-04:00This is a good post. It's too bad about the te...This is a good post. It's too bad about the textbook, but I've very much been in the position of having to concede that something is just not going to happen given everything else and the fact that I have, in some way, shifted out of it already. It's very human to discover that not being superhuman is strangely hard to bear. That, I think, is mostly just the human condition in this fallen world. The dangerous temptation is to let oneself think that somehow one was entitled to the superhumanness, and that often comes, as you say, by associating it too much with one's self-image. But our task is not to do impressive things; it is to do just and good things in all the situations that arise, and it is the nature of humility that the result of that is in the long run greater than any of the impressive things we imagined ourselves doing.<br /><br />I'm reminded a bit about one of my frustrations when I was helping out with confirmation classes, in trying to find good resources for the gifts of the Spirit. In all of the usual confirmation materials that had been approved by the diocese, the gifts of the Spirit were characterized as if they were things we did. But the whole point of the gifts of the Spirit is that they are gifts. You can't even know for sure that you are acting because of them -- it's just that if you act with love of God and love of neighbor, your deeds will be wiser than you could have planned, more understanding than you could know, more courageous than you could have ever prepared yourself to be, etc., in ways you will often never see or even suspect. Our greatness is made in heaven, which means we have no means to make it ourselves. You just get it by gift.Brandonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06698839146562734910noreply@blogger.com