Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
Integrity is a term frequently used in recent months referring to a dam or an earthen levee that gives way to the flood waters pushing against it. Those huge structures, thought to be so massive and permanent, will sometimes break through when a weak spot is neglected.
If we apply this notion of integrity to our spiritual life, we can wonder how we might measure or judge our own integrity. Outside pressure from negative forces will always be a part of our spiritual life. The core foundation of our integrity is our free will and our conscience. St. Paul expands on this in today’s reading by reminding us that we have been given an awesome gift and privilege. It’s the gift of the Holy Spirit. The only honest way to examine our integrity is to look for signs or the fruits which we produce in harmony with the Spirit of God. Can we find evidence of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? Or on the other hand, do we find the destructive evidence of just the opposite, namely, lying, jealousy, immorality, disrespect and selfishness?
Perhaps more than ever before, our world needs the beacon of hope and truth. It needs the integrity of those who dare to stand as a sign of contradiction against the powers of evil. We pray for the strength to catch the wind of the Spirit. May it guide us with integrity of mind and heart.
Reflection by Fr. Daniel Petsche, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections