Hello all! So, Junior year has begun and I am so close to my goal of being officially in the nursing program. Please pray that I be able to stay focused this semester because I need it.
Anyway! Steubenville is a wonderful place and every time I come back to campus it's like a giant smack in the spiritual life face, and yes that's a good thing. I have decided to go through the Marian virtues that my Household covers with new intents.
The picture to the left is a great beginning. I chose this because it reminds we a lot of Mother Teresa's guide to ultimate humility, which are absolutely mind blowing. Most of these "rules" are ones that we've heard often enough that we just kind of go "yeah, i'm totally doing that", but are we? Are we really being humble? Do we even know what humility is? I sure as heck didn't until I started my life as a Handmaid! So sit down cus you about to be educated in the fine art of humility.
Many of you have heard that humility is not defacing a complement such as: "you look really great in that outfit!" or so on. But no one seems to really get that! I've heard so many speakers tell hundreds of teenagers this and nothing changes, I believe this is because we've become to accustomed to thinking that if someone takes a complement as what it was originally meant for to immediately think them being narcissistic. Why?! Why do we feel the need to beet ourselves down in order to please society and social norms? Why do we feel that the only way to build ourselves up is by tearing down the beautiful miracle that is you? It's absolutely ridiculous and it makes me want to slap anyone who does this! (don't worry i'm not actually... being a red head I feel like I should put that disclaimer in.)
Now the big question, how do you take a complement without sounding like it's getting to your head? Easy, you find something to complement about the person who complemented you. Not only are you showing that you've been paying attention to said person but you are showing that you find something about them worthy on mentioning. Also, everyone loves to be complemented! Some of you may be thinking, "Well what if i'm just bashful?" and the answer to that would be: "are you shutting down the complement being paid to you? If not then you're just being you and you should never be ashamed of that!". On that same note, this is not an exact science, there is no equation saying if person A says one thing then person B must reply in this way. If that were the case we wouldn't be human.
Humility is not just about all this "how to take a complement" that i've been rambling about! That's the beauty of these virtues! They are SO deep! That's why I chose it to be the first virtue because the humblest action that has ever, or will ever happen, was when a teenage girl gave up her reputation in her home town and everything that she held dear to carry our Savior and raise him. We also can't forget the second in command in the Holy Family, the one and only Joseph. Mary would not have gotten very far without such a man and we seriously don't give him enough credit. You wanna talk humility? Let's talk about a simple carpenter who accepted the burden of raising a son who was not, technically speaking, his own. He taught our Lord and Savior how to talk, read, and everything about his trade! To put it in perspective: imagine Prince William and Kate showing up at your door and asking you to teach there new baby how to survive in this cruel world and then leave you with their child, completely trusting in you and your ability. Now I dare you to not let that get to your head! I dare you! Because I know i'd be sitting there with the Princess in my arms thinking "wow... I must be a seriously awesome person for them to think they could trust me with raising a possible future Queen!". But that's not what Joseph and Mary did. Nope, they took their newborn son and raised him to the best of there abilities knowing that someday he would grow up and do marvelous things that had absolutely nothing to do with them and everything to do with God. Thus why we should not only model ourselves after our mother but also our father-in law in Christ, Joseph.
May Mary's mantle drape over you and let you rest in her warm embrace,
God Bless
Clara
Anyway! Steubenville is a wonderful place and every time I come back to campus it's like a giant smack in the spiritual life face, and yes that's a good thing. I have decided to go through the Marian virtues that my Household covers with new intents.
The picture to the left is a great beginning. I chose this because it reminds we a lot of Mother Teresa's guide to ultimate humility, which are absolutely mind blowing. Most of these "rules" are ones that we've heard often enough that we just kind of go "yeah, i'm totally doing that", but are we? Are we really being humble? Do we even know what humility is? I sure as heck didn't until I started my life as a Handmaid! So sit down cus you about to be educated in the fine art of humility.
Many of you have heard that humility is not defacing a complement such as: "you look really great in that outfit!" or so on. But no one seems to really get that! I've heard so many speakers tell hundreds of teenagers this and nothing changes, I believe this is because we've become to accustomed to thinking that if someone takes a complement as what it was originally meant for to immediately think them being narcissistic. Why?! Why do we feel the need to beet ourselves down in order to please society and social norms? Why do we feel that the only way to build ourselves up is by tearing down the beautiful miracle that is you? It's absolutely ridiculous and it makes me want to slap anyone who does this! (don't worry i'm not actually... being a red head I feel like I should put that disclaimer in.)
Now the big question, how do you take a complement without sounding like it's getting to your head? Easy, you find something to complement about the person who complemented you. Not only are you showing that you've been paying attention to said person but you are showing that you find something about them worthy on mentioning. Also, everyone loves to be complemented! Some of you may be thinking, "Well what if i'm just bashful?" and the answer to that would be: "are you shutting down the complement being paid to you? If not then you're just being you and you should never be ashamed of that!". On that same note, this is not an exact science, there is no equation saying if person A says one thing then person B must reply in this way. If that were the case we wouldn't be human.
Humility is not just about all this "how to take a complement" that i've been rambling about! That's the beauty of these virtues! They are SO deep! That's why I chose it to be the first virtue because the humblest action that has ever, or will ever happen, was when a teenage girl gave up her reputation in her home town and everything that she held dear to carry our Savior and raise him. We also can't forget the second in command in the Holy Family, the one and only Joseph. Mary would not have gotten very far without such a man and we seriously don't give him enough credit. You wanna talk humility? Let's talk about a simple carpenter who accepted the burden of raising a son who was not, technically speaking, his own. He taught our Lord and Savior how to talk, read, and everything about his trade! To put it in perspective: imagine Prince William and Kate showing up at your door and asking you to teach there new baby how to survive in this cruel world and then leave you with their child, completely trusting in you and your ability. Now I dare you to not let that get to your head! I dare you! Because I know i'd be sitting there with the Princess in my arms thinking "wow... I must be a seriously awesome person for them to think they could trust me with raising a possible future Queen!". But that's not what Joseph and Mary did. Nope, they took their newborn son and raised him to the best of there abilities knowing that someday he would grow up and do marvelous things that had absolutely nothing to do with them and everything to do with God. Thus why we should not only model ourselves after our mother but also our father-in law in Christ, Joseph.
May Mary's mantle drape over you and let you rest in her warm embrace,
God Bless
Clara
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