“Adopting a Spirit-filled, a Service-minded and a Strength-giving Personality!”

(Based on Rom 8:12-17 and Lk 13:10-17 – Monday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time)

One of the major topics that is dealt in psychology is that of Personality.

One of the personality that is often encountered is what is known as a Split Personality.

A person with a split personality has two or more distinct identity and alternates from one character to another.

But there is perhaps another personality which is not analysed or studied much…but is often stumbled upon…

It could be called as a “SPIT” personality!

(Yes, you read it right. It’s spelt S-P-I-T… not SPLIT!)

This SPIT personality is a subtle yet very common phenomenon that is observed, including perhaps, in many of us…

(Of course, this term “Spit personality” is primarily derived from the bad habit of people spitting on the streets…and making the whole surrounding quite ugly and filthy!)

The Spit Personality that we are talking of, refers…
… to the habit of spitting out unpleasant words at others, without the least concern.
… to the practise of spitting out harsh and judgmental words, with minimal mercy.
… to the tendency to spitting out critical words to put down people in humiliation.

The Gospel of the Day brings a classical example of a person having this SPIT Personality.

The context is that of Jesus healing a woman who had been crippled for eighteen on a Sabbath Day.

However, after the healing, the leader of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had cured on a Sabbath.

He told, “There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the Sabbath day” (Lk 13:14)

This leader of the synagogue, displays the SPIT Personality.

Here was something noble and good being done…

But he fails to see the goodness and instead shouts at the people for not keeping the laws.

Here was something miraculous and godly being performed…

But he closes himself to the Kingdom of God and focuses on the need to obey human rules.

His Spit Personality was badly unleashed!

Jesus, the Lord of healing and restoration, encountered the woman who had been crippled for many years…

She was bent.
She was in pain probably.
She was also very much dispirited too.

Jesus saw her need…
… but the leader of the synagogue saw her as a nuisance.

Jesus understood her pain…
… but the leader of the synagogue chose to inflict shame on the people.

This is the trouble with a Spit Personality: One concentrates only on the negative aspects of persons and situations!

Jesus lashes out at such an attitude!

He calls the leader of the synagogue a hypocrite, and draws his attention to the greater and important dimensions of life!
“This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years, ought she not have been set free on this Sabbath day from this bondage?” (Lk 13:16)

The man focused on the rule of Sabbath…
… Jesus focused on the rule of love and liberation.

The man saw the commandment violated..
… Jesus saw a life been violated and in need of renewal.

The man burst out in anger and pride…
… Jesus blossomed out in compassion and humanness.

The Spit personality can be highly dreadful and inhuman.

Do I display any such characteristics?

If I fail to see the goodness in people, and speak only of their faults and mistakes…
… I may be having a Spit Personality!

If I fail to trust in God in hard situations, and only criticize and blame God…
… I may be having a Spit Personality!

If I get wild with people for tiny faults without considering their background & context…
… I may be having a Spit Personality!

If I spread calumny and gossiping rumours about the misdeeds of others…
… I may be having a Spit Personality!

If I fail to go beyond rigid and inhuman regulations in order to promote well-being and goodness…
… I may be having a Spit Personality!

The Lord of all Liberation and Wholeness today invites us to experience His Healing Touch.

Many of us are crippled and infirmed with this Spit Personality…

We need a healing.
We need a touch of the Lord.

The Spit Personality in us, can cause much damage to the people around us.

It can make our life unclean and miserable and cause people to avoid us.
It can make our families, our communities and our societies to be unliveable and unpleasant.

A strong decision needs to be made…
…to stop spitting bad words
…to stop spitting defamatory news
…to stop spitting harmful statements
…to stop spitting uncharitable remarks
…to stop spitting cruel and heartless comments!

Let us let go of the Spit Personality and adopt…
… a Spirit-filled Personality instead!
… a Service-minded Personality instead!
… a Strength-giving Personality instead!

May we seek to be cleansed… May we seek to be pure!

God Bless! Live Jesus!

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Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
THE CHURCH – A PRIESTLY, PROPHETIC, AND ROYAL PEOPLE

Jesus Christ is the One whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit and established as Priest, Prophet, and King.
The whole People of God participates in these three offices of Christ and bears the responsibilities for mission and service that flow from them.
On entering the People of God through faith and Baptism, one receives a share in this people’s unique, priestly vocation: “Christ the Lord, high priest taken from among men, has made this new people ‘a kingdom of priests to God, his Father.’
The baptized, by regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, are consecrated to be a spiritual house and a holy priesthood.”

“The holy People of God shares also in Christ’s prophetic office,” above all in the supernatural sense of faith that belongs to the whole People, lay and clergy, when it “unfailingly adheres to this faith… once for all delivered to the saints,” and when it deepens its understanding and becomes Christ’s witness in the midst of this world. (CCC #783-785)