Daily Reflection for Thursday, September 10, 2020
Peace and Blessings, Friends and Parishioners,
We encourage you to reflect on Thursday’s readings at this link:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/091020.cfm
If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are:
First Reading: 1 Corinthians 8:1B-7, 11-13
Responsorial: Psalm 139:1b-3, 13-14 ab, 23-24
Gospel: Luke 6:27-38
Our reflection on Thursday’s readings:
Have you ever felt like an imposter?
There is a well-described syndrome (the imposter syndrome) that outlines the feelings of inadequacy and self-doubt that sometimes render people fearing they'll be "exposed" as a fraud. It is common in professional settings, but it can affect anyone in any setting. Visualize a circle whose size represents the knowledge you feel you possess (or goodness or ability or value etc.) Now visualize a circle whose size represents the perceived knowledge, goodness, ability or value that your peers possess. Individual circle sizes tend to be smaller than those of others if aligned with the doubt and inadequacy linked to imposter syndrome. In reality, the circles are much closer in size (if not identical) than we would indicate.
I began to think of this as I read the readings for today. St. Paul shares with the Corinthians that knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up (1 Corinthians 8:1). Luke’s Gospel clearly instructs the following: Love your enemies. Do good, bless and pray for those who hate, curse and hit you. Give to whoever asks and don't seek back anything taken from you. Stop judging. Stop condemning. Forgive.
After reading the Gospel of Luke, can I really call myself a Catholic Christian? Especially in today’s thick vitriolic milieu, is there really any wonder how one might struggle and feel inadequate with respect to hitting the beautiful mark of Jesus’ instruction to his disciples? With honest self-evaluation it is not at all challenging to consider a smaller self-circle as compared to that of others when considering successful application of today’s Gospel blueprint for Catholic living.
In what areas of your faith to you struggle with feelings of inadequacy?
There is great comfort in knowing that the beauty of God’s love doesn’t expect perfection. He doesn’t ask from us something we can’t give. Additionally, obsession with the faults of others or obsession with our own faults or our own self-doubt is not of God. God’s love is unfathomably generous. It builds and doesn’t constrict with the stipulations that we so regularly add. It follows that we need to extend this generosity to ourselves when we begin to consider imposter tendencies or other behaviors that don’t bring us closer to Him.
Rafael Rosario