If for no one else, this writing by Merton on "Integrity" has been good for me.
In great saints you find that perfect humility and perfect integrity coincide. The two turn out to be practically the same thing. The saint is unlike everybody else precisely because s/he is humble.
For me, I would again translate saint into all who are baptized (and push that to all who are beloved of God and count on that love). There is no special act that makes them saints. Then again there will be the potential for a humility that honors others and self. This is a constant invitation for all of us. It demands that we see in the other the potential for wholeness that is in all of us...and then...we see the same in ourselves. No one needs to be like the other person. In fact, we do well to pray that each of us will be the person God loves for all times. For in the unfolding of that way, the peace and love and justice and hope and mercy of God becomes known to the world through each of our unique ways of being God's beloved. When we are that essential person - beloved - the saints of God find delight in our differences and how we can also be very much alike without having to lose ourselves by being someone we are not. Someone once told me to simply say "thank you" when offered a compliment...don't play it down...don't say it could be better - say "thank you." In those times, people are really thanking us for letting ourselves show through and that often is a delight for others.
Connection: Give praise and thanks to others and let those same words that are offered to each of us be taken as the gift of God's saints who long for the grand diversity that comes within the humility of our lives.
Precious Lord, lead us along the pathway of your love so that as we turn to face our world, we will face it "just as I am." Such a presentation in life will show all sides of our person and it will show others how thorough your love is...loving all sides...even those that are not visible. Amen.
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