It’s time for another reflection on another writing from St. Josemaria.

Why are you hurt by what people say about you? How much worse you would be if God were to leave you. Persevere in doing good, and shrug your shoulders. • Text from point 45 of chapter Character of Josemaría Escrivá’s book The Way. Link: https://escriva.org/en/camino/45/

How many times do we get upset because someone has said something about us we don’t like? More likely than not it will be posted on social media. We see or hear something and get upset and retaliate in some way, usually through another post. Why? Does it make us feel better? Or does it just make us more stressed?

What St. Josemaria is saying here is why do we worry about it? Wouldn’t it be better if you didn’t answer or even didn’t acknowledge it? This does two things.

First doing this brings you down to their level. Second as Jesus tells us:

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust

The Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006), Mt 5:44–45. – Matthew 5:44–45 (RSV2CE)

Jesus loves all of us the same whether we are good or evil. He can see through our flaws. He wants us to do the same. By doing so we become closer to him and this in turn brings us closer to heaven.

And isn’t that what the ultimate goal is, getting to heaven? Living with the end in mind?