Tag: Virtue

Difficult to Forgive? Pray!

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Forgiveness

Pray! Forgiving others is not an easy task. On many occasions, it will take some Divine assistance. Sometimes the hurt is so great we can’t even see or think clearly. We are so caught up in the emotion that forgiveness is the last thing on our minds. It’s during times like this that we must first pray. We need to ask God to alleviate the pain caused by the offense. We then need to pray for the ability to forgive. Actual forgiveness requires us to let go of the harbored anger and resentment. We must relinquish the pain to God, so that He may free our souls to love and trust again.

There are two things to consider when determining whether to forgive someone or not: Read more…

 

Forgive Others – What’s In It For Me?

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Forgiveness 4Forgive others – Not so easy a task now is it? What stops us from being able to forgive others who have hurt us? Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, a time set aside for us to repent, pray and give alms. To repent means that we are sorry for what we have done wrong. To repent is to ask for forgiveness. Yet, if we really listen to the words from the Our Father, where we recite “Forgive us our trespasses AS we forgive those who have trespassed against us,” what we are really asking is to be forgiven to the extent that we forgive others. That word AS may be a little word, but it carries a big punch.  Can any of us really say that we have forgiven others to the extent that we would want to be forgiven? Read more…

 

Forgiveness: Why Did It Take Almost 40 Years?

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Forgiveness does not always come easily. Forgiveness, when given to others, is done more for yourself, than for the person being forgiven. To forgive someone for an offense committed against you is to release yourself from the bond that the offense has created.  I have an excellent example from my own life to prove the point. It took about 40 years to forgive a life changing hurt; yet through forgiveness, I became a better person. Read more…

Good Deeds: What Impact Do They Have on You?

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

It’s Random Acts of Kindness week. Want some ideas on how you can spread kindness?

Good deeds are acts of kindness, filled with love and compassion. Any good deed performed is a virtuous act, as long as it is accompanied by good intentions. Therefore, good deeds are virtuous. There are several ways to practice good deeds; each one bringing joy not only to the recipient, but also to the giver, with a rippling effect that spreads outward. Here are a few suggestions:

On the spur of the moment, do something nice for someone else! Let the inspiration seize you and act upon it! After all, this is Random Acts of Kindness week! Give a smile…Read more…

Random Acts of Kindness – Are You In?

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Random Acts of Kindness Week starts today and ends February 15th! Are you with me? Are you willing to perform random acts of kindness this week?

“Much unkindness results from envy.”1 If we cannot find it within ourselves to be kind to others, it is because we are too worried about what we do not have. Perhaps it’s not enough money, clothes, food, etc. Thus, we are reluctant to give from our excess, let alone our need. If we possess the virtue of kindness then we are willing to share with others, even from our meager means. Take a look at this video. It demonstrates that to be kind, you also need to be compassionate; to give of yourself to another:  Read more…

Kindness is Contagious! Catch It!

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”  ~Mark Twain

As Mark Twain so aptly infers, everyone comprehends when an act of kindness has been bestowed upon them, because they are outward signs of graciousness towards others. Acts of kindness produce good ripples; they can be contagious! Smile at someone and you put a smile on their face, which in turn puts a smile on someone else’s face. Hold a door open for someone and it alleviates their stress, which in turn puts them in a good mood, as they engage with others. Serve food in a soup kitchen and you help someone live for another day, which in turn helps them to move with God’s grace to be of assistance to someone else. Whatever the act of kindness, it evokes a positive response. Sometimes it’s gratitude (another virtue), and sometimes it leads to something even more wonderful. Read more…

Family Love: The Glue of Life

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Family Love – the love between siblings and cousins, the love for grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews. You can choose your friends, but not your family – how true! Many of us have relatives that if given a choice, might not be our “friend.” Nonetheless, they are a part of our family. It is that family bond that keeps us together in the good times and in the bad – we are there for each other, especially in those bad times, when “friends” run in the opposite direction.

What we show to our friends is our good side for the most part, with the not-so-good stuff kept buried in our past. However, it is the family members who have seen it all and in spite of that are by our side when needed most. Why? Read more…

Unconditional Love: Parental Love

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Have you experienced the unconditional love of a parent? How about from God, the Father? Read more to learn about the connection between the two…

Unconditional Love – I was blessed to have two wonderful parents, who were married for 54 years prior to my father’s passing in 1999. My mother died 28 weeks later. (The photo was taken at my First Communion in 1965, at age 8). For the first 42 years of my life, they were living examples of parental love to me. They loved me unconditionally, as all parents do so well.

I did not come from a wealthy family. My father worked in a printer’s shop, and my mother was a stay-at-home mom, until I turned 10 years of age. Read more…

Enduring Marital Love: The Secret?

Posted: by Virginia Lieto

Want to know the secret to an enduring marital love after 35+ years of marriage? How can you have such a love?

With 35+ years of marriage to the same wonderful man, of this I can speak from experience. Many people ask me, “What’s your secret?”  Let’s face the truth – in this day and age, at least in the United States, we don’t see one-time marriages with longevity much anymore. When we do see them, we see a consistent theme: an enduring love that has weathered the storms of life. So, you ask, what is the secret to maintaining that enduring love?

Read more…