Lent Day 18: "Goodness"

I believe this reflection about the transfiguration is emphasizing  finding the goodness in all people, ie finding Jesus in them.  I think this is such a hard thing to do and requires lots of work and "conversion in thought". For example, In my profession I come into contact with a lot of sick, grouchy people.  I often let their grouchiness rub off on me and in turn reflects the way I treat them.  I forget that there is more to the story, they don't feel good, maybe they got really bad news, maybe they have forgotten to see the goodness in me. They don't deserve my impatience or judgement, yet they sometimes get it. I also come into contact with drug addicts whom I almost always judge.  Aren't these the people who need my help the most? Aren't these the people Jesus would have helped? I struggle, because I'm not sure I am capable to help them and maybe that is why my judgement and frustration come into play. We are such a throw-a-way society. We throw-a-way things and people all the time. We write people out of our lives that don't fit in our life with our standards.  We fail to see "value", really I think we should be looking for "goodness".  I think this is what this Sunday lenten reflection is about.

I also think the second part of this reflection is looking for the goodness within ourselves. I am my my own worst critic.  I know I fail to see the goodness in myself.  I fear doing this because I don't want to be a narcissist. I think it is when you start believing to highly in yourself that you get knocked on your ass! I guess the challenge is you do need to see good in yourself.  You need to see what you are capable of and  capable of sharing. If you listen and apply your talents to Jesus' work the results are unimaginable.