Covert Kindness
Do acts of mercy in secret.
Maxim #10
One of my favorite stories about St. Nicholas involves his help in providing money for the dowry of a girl whose family was unable to afford it. The story passed down to us through tradition tells of the holy man Nicholas, who upon hearing of the girl’s dilemma, went for a walk past the girl’s house and tossed bags of money into the chimney so as to remain an “anonymous donor”.
It was during my first assignment as a priest that I received an envelope full of cash and letter requesting that I deliver it to a particular person in need that was simply signed, Nick. “Nick” also must have known this story about the famous Bishop of Myra and was inspired to follow his example.
This tenth of Fr. Thomas Hopko’s maxims for Christian living should remind us that we are all called to practice the corporal and spiritual works of mercy and that we should strive to do so, as much as we can, in secret. The temptation of pride is always present in one form or another, but it is perhaps most present when we are successful in our efforts to show mercy to others. How often do we find ourselves at the end of the day patting ourselves on the back for all the good we have done, be it feeding the hungry, visiting the sick, comforting those in sorrow, and the like?
Christ certainly encourages his followers to perform works of mercy, but also urges us to do so not for our own glory:
Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. (Matthew 6:1-4)
Of these 55 Maxims, I think this is one of my favorites. When I have been able to put it into practice and successfully keep my almsgiving secret, it has been of greater help than when others have seen my good works. Receiving the praise of others, at least for me, can too easily lead me to ignore the areas where I fail in living the Christian life. My hope is to never lose sight of saints like Nicholas who model this maxim well for all of us who seek to follow Christ.
Related Posts:
About The Author
Comments