55- Losing meekness

 

St-Takla.org Image: St. Moses the Black and St. Esizoros. صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: القديس الأنبا موسى الأسود والقديس الأنبا اسيذوروس.

A meek person maintains his meekness.

He does not lose his meekness when he holds a high position or enjoys some authority, as we have discussed this issue before here on st-takla.org in other sections. He maintains his meekness whatever high position he attains. His heart is not elevated by the power of authority.

The meek does not lose his meekness while correcting others. If he is in a position that gives him an authority to correct others, he does it without being harsh or severe and without coarse behaviour or voice.

He does not lose his meekness if he defends what is right. He defends quietly without hurting the feeling of anyone. Even when he speaks frankly, his frankness is not hurting; for he expresses what he wants to say in a gentle way.

At this point we remember the way the Lord Christ talked to the Samaritan woman. He revealed to her everything gently without hurting her feelings (John 4). A truly meek person never loses his meekness under the pretext of being firm or bold or by misusing power and dignity.

A person cannot say that he lost his meekness because he was born with a fiery temper. Moses the Black was of this kind, but he acquired meekness through the life of repentance. He began his life with harshness, but he trained himself until he became a very kind hearted person.

What is gentleness?

Ten Concepts Books by H. H. Pope Shenouda III

Meekness and courage