Spiritual Warfare & My Sins in Waging Same

 From today's 2nd reading, by Pope Gregory the Great:

...for with wisdom they teach the wayward while showing a courageous contempt for outward hostility; the straying sheep they set on the right path by their teaching; the attacker they suffer and overcome. For they have nothing but patient scorn for the enemy who moves against them, but they sympathize with their weaker fellows and bring them back to the safe way, opposing the former lest they lead others astray and fearing for the latter lest they completely lose sight of the truly upright life...

For many years now, I have been preoccupied by sins of the tongue, especially my own. But I now find them most painful when I witness them in otherwise good people.  Each election year, such reach a fever pitch as my brethren divide themselves as if an election were a football game rather than a deadly serious choice of matching a job to who best can perform it.

My greatest sin was once scandal, a common one among the intellectually gifted.  The Lord has gifted me with a high IQ, excellent teachers, and a very broad knowledge base. Often instead of properly using His gifts, shocked those to whom I spoke. This is tied to another, that of sharing truth with a weaker person who is not prepared to receive it.  As we read in the Catechism

2488 The right to the communication of the truth is not unconditional. Everyone must conform his life to the Gospel precept of fraternal love. This requires us in concrete situations to judge whether or not it is appropriate to reveal the truth to someone who asks for it.

Just because something is true does not mean that it should be publicly shared.  I thank God for schooling me and that I have learned when it may be best to be silent.

Now, I have been working on finding balance between sins of pride and acceptance of my gifts simply and without boasting.  I also seek to learn gentleness and humility as neither comes to me naturally.  Rather, others find me brash and overly aggressive.

My help has been reading the letters of "St. Jeannie" aka St. Jane Francis de Chantal, foundress with St. Francis de Sales of the Visitation Order. She has been trying to get my attention for years, but I didn't know why. As a widow, she is one of my patrons but my intuition was that there was more, and there is. The Discernment Guide from the Order was very helpful in contemplating meekness and humility in demeanor.

Closing prayer of the Jewish Amidah (the 18 blessings):

My God, keep my tongue and my lips from speaking deceit, and to them that curse me let my soul be silent, and like dust to all. Open my heart in Your Torah, and after [in] Thy commandments let me [my soul] pursue. As for those that think evil of [against] me speedily thwart their counsel and destroy their plots. Do [this] for Thy name's sake, do this for Thy right hand's sake, do this for the sake of Thy holiness, do this for the sake of Thy Torah. That Thy beloved ones may rejoice, let Thy right hand bring on help [salvation] and answer me…