Sunday, September 03, 2006

"I Deserve It"

"I'm worth it."
"I owe it to myself."

How often do we hear phrases like that? If we read magazines, or watch television, or even clip coupons, we see or hear such words quite often.

In today's Target ad, the front page is headlined: "You Deserve Dyson." It's almost as if we take pride in how much we deserve.

All this thinking of what we deserve, what we are worth, what we are owed--all this is the absolute opposite of the kind of thinking Francis warns against in the Rule of 1221:
"Beware of all pride and vainglory. Keep yourselves from the wisdom of this world and the prudence of the flesh. For the spirit of the flesh is desirous and very eager for words but does little to carry them out."

Ultimately, I know that I deserve nothing. Yet Christ had it in His heart to give all of us everything, through His perfect sacrifice. That's a whole lot more important than a latte, hair coloring, or a space-age vacuum cleaner.

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