Help me, Lord, to invest my time and effort in developing the right virtues, the ones that would lead me to You - Daily Reflections November 16,2014

DECEPTIVE CHARM, FLEETING BEAUTY

 

Some years back, one of the popular posts that made the rounds of cyberspace had to do with the 45th anniversary of the movie, The Sound of Music, and the “reunion” of all those who were principally involved in it. I was one of those captivated by the “then-and-now family picture” of the Von Trapp family with their governess. It instantly brought back happy memories, for I come from the same generation.

       How blessed, indeed, was the Von Trapp family for having such a capable governess. How cute and cuddly everyone looked then, and how far different they look now, 45-plus years hence.

       The First Reading today almost sounds like a recipe for charm and beauty, not just for women but for everyone: man, woman or child. The worthy man, woman or child, according to the Book of Proverbs, brings good, not evil. He or she works with loving hands. He or she reaches out to the poor, and extends his or her arms to the needy.

       But the very same passage from Proverbs goes beyond merely enumerating virtues that would make anyone worthy or blessed. It tells us what it all points to — the foundational virtue that stands at the bottom of it all — the fear of the Lord!

       The charm and beauty that once belonged to the governess and the Von Trapp children, obviously, are no longer there. But why did the whole world get so excited about the aging mainstays of The Sound of Music?

       I would like to hazard a guess. They all portrayed something that never wanes, never goes out of fashion, and never dies. They all collectively portrayed human values galore, goodness of character, and greatness of personality associated with simply being the best that one is called to be. Charm may be deceptive and beauty fleeting, but never the fear of the Lord!

       Maybe it’s time for us to invest rightly and in the right stuff. By starting with the fear of the Lord, one can never go far wrong. Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

 

REFLECTION QUESTION: Which of the virtues in the First Reading today do you possess or would want to possess?

 

Help me, Lord, to invest my time and effort in developing the right virtues, the ones that would lead me to You