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TheRealJuliane
Guest
Great one!Yeah that did sound mean. Next time say “Why are you looking at my husband? I’m always here.” LOL That should shut them up.
Thoughtless comment from church women makes me feel under-appreciated
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priya7
Guest
:yup: :bible1:I think you need to re-evaluate your purpose for serving the Church. We are not supposed to do it because of praise or the recognition of others. We serve because we love Christ and want to serve His Church. Christ sees all that you do and will reward you for it in heaven. It doesn’t matter what everyone else thinks of you here or that they don’t notice (that’s a good thing!). Christ said:
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” – Matthew 6:5-6
Seek your reward from your heavenly Father!
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Sarcelle
Guest
I have a fear of this. Not as the object of the snarky comments but as the originator of snarky comments.
I remember in the Bible, RevelationsI think, that said we will be made to account for every word that we have uttered.
I remember in the Bible, RevelationsI think, that said we will be made to account for every word that we have uttered.
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iloveangels
Guest
Do you do what you do to be appreciated? That’s probably the question you should ask yourself.
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DaughterOfMary6
Guest
I was quoting Scripture and showing that Jesus doesn’t want us to be wrapped up in what other people think of us. We need to seek our reward in heaven not on earth. I wasn’t saying it to injure anyone. Our feelings can get hurt here on earth. Only God knows what we have truly done and it is His approval we should seek.
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JillianRose
Guest
Maybe its not that she needs to be appreciated. Its just an off comment. . It has nothing to do with needing approval. It has to do with speaking out of term on a subject they obviously know nothing about.
I would be afraid to assume what “works” people do or NOT do at church or someones attendance. Also its says in the bible not to cause others to stumble in their faith. 
My response would be “You know I was just thinking they same thing about you”. LOL
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SecretGarden
Guest
People especially women can be insensitive idiots. They speak negatively when they don’t have anything else better to say. Just because one of them is a nun, doesn’t she is excluded. She is a child of God who is also called to be human. Unfortunately some of the most devoted Christians can also be first class female dogs.
Mother Teresa’s prayer best sums up the situation.
I hope it helps,
SG
**Mother Teresa’s Anyway Poem **
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
Mother Teresa’s prayer best sums up the situation.
I hope it helps,
SG
**Mother Teresa’s Anyway Poem **
Code:
People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you’ve got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
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odile53
Guest
^ This.
Your situation reminds me a little of a joke I once heard about an annulment writing workshop: On the form, where it has the space for “reason for divorce,” one woman wrote: “We divorced over religious differences. He thought he was God. I didn’t.”
R-C, I take my marching orders from the Captain of my soul, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and from the Magisterium. The way I figure it, all others can just keep on doing whatever it is they do, and if they truly feel the need to gossip about me, that speaks volumes about their imagination and creativity!
Maybe it’s advancing age that has taught me less respect of human opinion, maybe it’s spiritual growth, or maybe I’m just getting lazier. Maybe it’s a combination of the three. But I have discovered that the less attention I pay to gratuitous and unpleasant human opinion, the more serene I am. The more serenity I have, the better I am able to devote my energies and talents in the love of God and neighbor, for the greater glory of God. The more I am able to do that, the happier I am. I have little time or patience for naysayers. Folks like that are just the moth larvae that try to eat the fabric of my soul.
If you can look at yourself in the mirror each evening, and know that you’ve done the best you could do under the circumstances with what you knew was available at the time, and managed to avoid sin, you can approve of yourself, knowing that Our Lord approves of you, too. Those are the only two opinions that really matter.
As for these ladies, pray for them that the Lord helps them get a life. They need one. And see if you can’t, despite how unpleasant they are, muster up a little compassion for them: Anyone who feels the need to gossip and backbite about someone who is throwing themselves into service work in the church, for pity’s sake, must truly lead a dismally boring existence! They would do far better, and be far happier, to imitate your good example.
Personally, I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of any sort of response whatsoever. Being native American, I am a fan, and a practitioner of what I call “the Indian stare.” If you’re not native, you would have to practice it: Go to a mirror, and stare at your reflection, with an absolutely flat, deadpan expression on your face. Hold that look for a couple of minutes (you don’t have to worry about blinking.) Being the recipient of such a stare is an unnerving experience. In the few instances I’ve had to use it, the recipient hasn’t had the nerve to make obnoxious comments to me. I don’t know what they say behind my back, but that’s none of my business: If I truly take my marching orders from Jesus, only His opinion matters.
Each time you find your thoughts running to the miserable sniping these women took at you, say a prayer for them, and then quickly say another prayer that God gives you the grace to detach yourself from gratuitous sarcasm and directs your attention to where and how He would like you to serve. And each day that you are able to extricate your own thoughts from such childish behavior on the part of others, don’t forget to thank God for that grace. Our Heavenly Father likes thank-you notes in particular!
Enjoy your ministries, and don’t let moths try to nibble on your soul!
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NeedsMercy
Guest
That was *Matthew * 2:36:
36 “I tell you, on the day of judgment men will render account for every careless word they utter; 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
It is extremely funny that you mentioned that reference because I used that quote to answer a poster who was giving me the holier-than-thou treatment!
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iloveangels
Guest
That’s the junior high school math teacher “drop dead” stare. ROFLOL. It will stop all kinds of pesky behavior. Can’t over-use it though. It wears off it you use it more than a couple of times on some kids.
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Skye_Ariel
Guest
I love that!
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TiggerS
Guest
It is probably never easy to take humiliation in whatever form it presents itself and the work we do we do for The Lord, not for personal praise and glory hopefully. Hence if humiliation comes along, we can always unite it to the terrible humiliations and rejections Jesus suffered and especially in His final hours and bear any humiliations, rejections etc. as best we can. Hence it is possible, though feeling quite lousy even extremely lousy, to find some joy in humiliation etc. and even to be thankful of the source from whence they might come since they have presented us with such a wonderful opportunity to be united to Jesus in a unique manner.
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Joy2day
Guest
Totally agree with that. There is no excuse in ignoring the hurt someone is suffering. Didn’t St Mary MacKillop say ‘never see a need without doing something about it’ = ie. trying to heal the hurt.
I am so sorry to hear of your bad experience with these people. It is wrong on so many levels, but the worst is that it betrays the Church itself, ie Christ and all the good people who you haven’t come into contact with. I hope you don’t suffer anything else from people at church. Its like when Our Lord was on the cross and he said he was thirsty and they gave him vinegar.
Just as well you are not there to see them. Ignore them completely. They are acting under the influence of the devil who wishes you were not in church. Will pray for you.
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DoGodsBidding
Guest
Dear sister in Christ, you ought to realize that the Beloved is sharing a bit of cross with your. Be humble before such unjust remarks, and do not seek human consolation, neither in the form of you defending yourself (unless their remark are reason for scandal among other faithful) nor in the form of others defending you: God alone suffices. What you do, you do for Him. What you are, you are in His eyes, and you certainly do not seek worldly recognition. Seek indeed to be underappreciated, for many of us seek this blessing yet few find it.
Meditate on Our Lady, who in Egypt was treated as a foreigner, and in her own land was despised by many who despised the Lord, and later by many who considered her to be the mother of a criminal condemned by the teachers of the law and put to death by the Roman authority. Think of all she had to suffer, how many such remarks she must have heard throughout her life. Think of how many amidst her very children in grace still despise her, not only those who do not know her, but also those who, being Catholic, are supposed to know her and still treat her harshly. What would she do? What does she do? Imitate her
I do not know if you are familiar with Story of a Soul, the diary of the little flower and Doctor of the Church s. Therese of Lisieux. It is a nice reading that may help you bear with kindness and humbleness these little thorns that are just part of the roses the Beloved sends you from heaven.
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