Thought of the Day May 27, 2020 Piety
What
is piety? There is a natural virtue of piety. It involves the reverence,
obedience, respect, honor and love that is due to our parents and to those in
lawful authority. On a spiritual level,
piety is the religious devotion, reverence, obedience, respect, honor and love
that is due to God.
The
official Catholic definition of the gift of piety is: “A special gift of the Holy
Spirit; it perfects the virtue of religion, which is the practice of justice
toward God. It produces an instinctive filial affection for God and devotion
toward those who are specially consecrated to God. As an infused gift of God,
it is ready loyalty to God and the things of God, arising not so much from
studied effort or acquired habit as from a supernatural communication conferred
by the Holy Spirit.”
One
of the ways we express this gift of piety is through frequent prayer throughout
the day. St Therese of Calcutta once said: “If you face God in prayer and
silence, God will speak to you. Listen in silence because if our heart is full
of other things you cannot hear the voice of God. What is essential is not what
we say but what God tells us.”
The
charism of piety is charism of hospitality. This charism of the Holy Spirit
enables one to be a generous instrument of God’s love by warmly welcoming and
caring for those in need of food, lodging or just friendship. Like Martha and
Mary, we tend to the needs of Jesus who comes to us in the person of others.
The
fruit that the gift and charism of piety bears is love, kindness, and goodness.
One’s life of authentic piety begins to be reflected in a life of love towards
God and others, of kindness to all and of a goodness that is attractive and
inviting.
Come,
Holy Spirit, come! Stir in me a greater life of piety, a greater awareness of
hospitality so that I can reflect to the glory of God love, kindness and
goodness.
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