Gentleness
“Christ tells us that He is gentle and to be like Him to find a deep sense of peace (Matthew 11:29). But do we understand what it really means to be gentle or do we see it through the lens of the world which seems to equate gentleness with weakness and anger and outward shows of toughness with strength…Being gentle does not exclude being firm. Jesus was firm...The scriptures reveal…that Christ most often took a gentle approach toward His hearers. His words were intoned with love and consideration, not anger and wrath…When we are authentically gentle, we are simultaneously bold and courageous. Gentleness is not associated with being a doormat.” (Sacramental Living Blog, Albert S. Rossi, Father George Morelli)
“We need to be gentle and merciful with ourselves...Sometimes we judge ourselves too harshly, focusing on our flaws, forgetting we are all works in progress…we don’t turn to God because we view God through this harsh and incorrect mindset and believe He is just as harsh and unloving as us…Many of us don’t have an image of ourselves like the image God has of us. We don’t have a strong sense of loving gentleness toward ourselves. Hence, we get into a performance mentality, a mindset that tightens our brow, flexes our mental muscle, and tries to do too much, not because God is calling us to do so much, but because pride and ego want to perform better. Yes, we can be gentle with ourselves within an ascetical life of integrity.” (Sacramental Living, Albert S. Rossi)
“Learn from your own experience to sympathize [empathize] with those in trouble, and never to terrify with destructive despair those who are in danger, nor harden them with severe speeches, but rather restore them with gentle and kindly consolations..." (St. John Cassian)
“Prayer for others which is made gently and with deep love is selfless and has great spiritual benefit…We are to be gentle, understanding, and patient to all (2 Timothy 2:24), and to correct others with humility (vs. 25).” (St. Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia, OCPM 12/7/2015)
“Helping others doesn’t mean we should automatically rescue them from suffering the consequences of their actions. Suffering can be a valuable teacher to help us modify our future behavior. The important factor is that we listen to them deeply...By listening to them, you are sending the message that they matter to you and to God. What matters is that you are there to listen with compassion and gentleness.” (Father David L. Fontes, PsyD)