Reflection
It seems as if there has been a regression of maturity. Lack of respect and reverence for other persons is tolerated. Public insults and denigration of persons are accepted. There seems to be a sense of entitlement to it as if the one being irreverent is a model of perfection. We lack reverence for one another. Reverence has been defined as the virtue that keeps human beings from trying to act like gods. It implies a care for the feelings of others and a humility in the face of the personal interactions and the experiences of daily living. It is an attitude that underlies civility and respect for others. It enables us to see that we are not the centers of the universe, that others have rights and personal freedom, and it causes us to act in ways that build rather than undermine community.
Prayer
May I live in a spirit of reverence.
Action
How can you practice reverence in a culture where you often encounter lack of civility, disrespect, and a belief that an individual is superior to the common good? Examine your own attitudes. Do you accept such behavior as the norm? Where do you need to change?
Suggested Reading
Love one another with familial affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
Romans 12:10
Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!
Luke 5:26
Even the weakest and most vulnerable, the sick, the old, the unborn and the poor, are masterpieces of God’s creation, made in his own image, destined to live forever, and deserving of the utmost reverence and respect.
Pope Francis
Let us disarm words and we will help to disarm the world.
Pope Leo XIV
Just as white light consists of colored rays, so reverence for life contains all the components of ethics: love, kindliness, sympathy, empathy, peacefulness and power to forgive.
Albert Schweitzer
Reverence lies behind civility and all the graces that make life in society bearable and pleasant.
Paul Woodruff
Let parents then bequeath to their children not riches but the spirit of reverence.
Plato
Pursue some path, however narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence.
Henry David Thoreau
Whoever gives reverence receives reverence.
Rumi
Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.
John Milton
Only reverence can restrain violence – reverence for human life and the environment.
William Sloane Coffin
Real Life – the real life of joy we are meant to be living – begins when we restore a sense of reverence to our daily affairs. Today, search for the Sacred in the ordinary with gratitude in your heart and you will surely find it.
Sarah Ban Breathnach