“Be kind, be calm, be safe” is the popular COVID-19 catch phrase in B.C. It reminds me of a quote from Father Patrick Gearon, who wrote, “Why is there so much unhappiness? The answer is obvious: Because there is so much unkindness in the world. If our conduct towards one another were in keeping with the spirit of Christ, Our Lord, then the world would be a far different world from what it is at present.”
According to Father Patrick, “kindness” is a power within reach of all of us. Kindness brings out the good points in the character of others. It brings out the best that is in the heart because it appeals to the nobler sentiments. People who are kind have such an extraordinary influence on those around them. St. Augustine said, “He who is kind is free, even if he is a slave; he who is evil is a slave, even if he is a king.”
We learn to be kind by cultivating the habit of thinking well about others. Father Patrick said, “From kind thoughts to kind words the transition is natural.”
Father Frederick Faber, CO, wrote, “Kind hearts are the garden. Kind thoughts are the roots. Kind words are the flowers. Kind deeds are the fruits.” A simple way to begin the practice of kindness is to resolve to treat all people with respect and not to wound anyone.
St. Francis de Sales said, “There is nothing which edifies others so much as charity and kindness, by which, as by the oil in the lamp, the flame of good example is kept alive.” The saint gave the following advice to apostolate soul: “If you wish to labour with fruit in the conversion of souls, you must pour the balsam of sweetness upon the wine of your zeal, that it may not be too fiery, but mild, soothing, patient, and full of compassion. For the human soul is so constituted that by rigour it becomes harder, but mildness completely softens it. Besides, we ought to remember that Jesus Christ came to bless good intentions, and if we leave them to His control, little by little He will make them fruitful.”
St. Francis Xavier was a successful missionary. He treated everyone with great mildness and kindness and won the hearts of all.
Kindness helps our words to be more effective. St. Angela Merici said, “You will effect more by kind words and a courteous manner than by anger or sharp rebuke, which should never be used but in necessity.” St. Josemaría Escrivá gave a similar advice: “Say what you have just said, but in a different tone, without anger, and your argument will gain in strength and, above all, you won’t offend God.” St. Augustine said, “It is a man’s duty to do his best to alleviate human enmities by kindly speech, not to excite and aggravate them by the repetition of slanders.”
St. Josemaría wrote, “A sincere resolution: to make the way lovable for others and easy, since life brings enough bitterness with it already.” There was a nun annoyed St. Therese in all that she did. The saint strove to show kindness to this nun. She wrote, “Every time I met her I prayed for her and offered to God her virtues and merits … I did not rest satisfied with praying for this sister, who gave me such occasions for self-mastery, I tried to render her as many services as I could, and when tempted to answer her sharply, I made haste to smile and change the subject … And sometimes when the temptation was very severe, I would run like a deserter from the battlefield if I could do so without letting the sister guess my inward struggle. One day she said to me with a beaming face: ‘My dear Sister Therese, tell me what attraction you find in me, for whenever we meet, you greet me with such a sweet smile.’ Ah! What attracted me was Jesus hidden in the depths of her soul. Jesus who make sweet even that which is most bitter.”
善良帶出人性至美
『要善良，要冷靜，要安全』是卑斯省COVID-19疫情下最流行的語句。Patrick Gearon神父寫道：『不愉快為什麼多的是呢？答案是明顯的：因為世界上不善良的多的是。如果我們對待他人的行為能保持基督，我們主的精神，這世界便會跟今天的世界遠遠不同。』
根據Patrick神父，『善良』是我們所有人都能得到的一份力量。善良帶出他人個性的美好之處。它帶出心中最好的，那高尚的情操。善良的人對身邊的人們能有非一般的影響力。聖奧斯定說：『善良的人他甚至是奴隸，他是自由的；邪惡的人他甚至是君王，他是奴隸。』
要學習善良，我們要培養一個習慣去以一好的思想來想別人。Patrick神父說；『由善良思想到善良說話的過渡是自然的。』
Faber神父寫道：『善良的心是花園。善良的思想是根。善良的說話是花朶。善良的行為是果實。』最簡單的方法去開始就實踐善良是堅定志向去尊重所有的人，和不要傷害任何人。
聖方濟各、沙雷說：『沒有任何事物能較慈愛和善良更能啟迪他人，由此，一如燈內的油，好榜樣的火焰得以生存。』這聖人給了傳教靈魂以下的勸籲：『如果你願意為靈魂皈依的果實勞累，你應為你熱忱的酒傾注甜美的香液，它不需要是火紅的，但卻是溫柔的，教人寧靜的，耐心的，滿有同情的。因為人類的靈魂構造是嚴苛令它變得更硬，但溫柔卻完全軟化它。另外，我們應該記得耶穌基督來是為祝聖好的意向，如果我們讓祂掌控，一點點地祂會使他們結出果實。』
聖方濟各、沙勿略是位成功的傳教士。他以碩大的溫柔和善良對待每一個人，並贏取了眾人的心。
善良幫助我們的說話更為有效力。聖安琪拉、麥莉奇說：『善良的說話和謙恭有禮的行為比忿怒和嚴苛的斥責會使工作更為有效。除非必要，忿怒和嚴苛的斥責是絕不應該的。』聖施禮華也有相似的勸籲：『重復你所說的，但以不同的語調，剔除忿怒，它增強你論調的力量，在一切之上的是，你不會因此而得罪天主。』聖奧斯定說：『這是人的責任，盡他最大能力以友好的語調去緩和人類的種種仇恨，不要以重復的誹謗去激發和惡化它們。』
聖施禮華寫道：『一個真誠的決志：令路徑為別人成為可愛和容易的，因為生命本已是充滿苦澀。』有一位修女她的所為經堂令聖女小德蘭不悦。但聖女努力向她表達慈愛。她寫道：『每次我遇見她，我為她祈禱，向天主奉上她的德行和優點…我不因為可以為她祈禱而感到滿足，她給了我那樣的機遇去自我操控，我向她送上一切我可以為她服務的，當我受到誘惑要嚴厲回答她的時侯，我急急換上笑容並改變話題…有時這誘惑是太劇烈的時侯，如果能夠的話，又不會讓她猜中我內心的掙扎，我會如戰場上的逃兵般跑掉。一天她以一個笑面對我說：『親愛的姊妹德蘭，請告訴我，你在我內找到什麼吸引著你，因為每次我們相遇，你都以一個甜蜜的微笑跟我招呼。』呀！吸引我的是隱藏在她靈魂深處的耶穌—耶穌甚至把最苦澀的都轉為甜蜜。』