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Holy Cross Abbey

901 Cool Spring Lane Berryville, Virginia 22611

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Saturday of the 5th Week of Easter

May 8, 2021 by Fr Joseph

As we grow towards spiritual and psychological maturity we need to steer a middle course between a self-conscious preoccupation with what others think of us, on the one hand, and a total disregard and indifference to the opinions that others have of us, on the other. In the former we allow ourselves to be determined by the vacillating expectations and projections of others and thus never come to know who we truly are. In the latter, we forfeit that important input from others by which our blind spots are compensated for, and the just critiques of others aid our self-knowledge and growth towards becoming all God created us to be. It is this same middle course that will assist our discerning whether those who hate or dislike us represent those whom Christ warned about, namely, if the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. Or, whether the hate or dislike that we evoke is simply because we act in ways that are obnoxious, self-absorbed, and displeasing to others. Therefore, let us avail ourselves of the valuable opportunities our life together affords us towards deeper self-knowledge and the ability to truly discern when hate, dislike, and animosity leveled at us is because of our union with Christ, and when it is simply a sad reminder of our still sinful condition. To this end, let us seek the intercession of our Cistercian Martyrs who were hated because of their allegiance to Christ.

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