Day 11: Kindness  (fruit of the Holy Spirit)

Let’s starts with Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

But what does kindness mean for us Christians? Kindness prompts us to serve without expecting to be served first. It fosters generosity, altruism, and devotion. Kindness is also the action of doing good. 

Through acts of kindness, we embody the teachings and example of Jesus, who showed boundless love and compassion for all people by selflessly serving us. Christ gives us the supreme example: “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”(Matthew 20:28). 

Love and kindness are intrinsic qualities of God Himself so let us remember that the kindness we reach, sometimes, is itself a gift from God. Everything is given to us (1 Corinthians 4:7). Let us give thanks to God for making us, sometimes, instruments of His love.

Our condition as Christians is to follow and imitate Christ in all things. So, let us make own these words of Saint Paul: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”(Colossians 3:12).

St. Teresa of Calcutta said, “Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love.”

Reflection: It may be a good spiritual exercise to examine our own conduct to see if it aligns with Jesus’s kindness. Is our kindness, for example, a sign of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us? Really? Always? 

Let us be renewed in the Holy Spirit to follow the path of kindness, of life, and of imitating Jesus Christ.

Holy spirit helps us to be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave us. (Ephesians 4:32).

The Psalm 25:8 and many more books in the Bible, helps us to deeply understand kindness and goodness. “You are good and upright; therefore, You instruct sinners in Your ways.” Also, the adulterous woman (jn8:11) illustrates the intrinsic link between kindness and truth. It’s important to highlight that kindness is not naivety or gullibility but rather the pursuit of good in all things, in our relationship with God, with our brothers and with our neighbors.

Prayer: Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my heart with Thy heavenly fruits, Thy charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, faith, mildness, and temperance, that I may never weary in the service of God, but by continued faithful submission to Thy inspiration may merit to be united eternally with Thee in the love of the Father and the Son. Amen. (Prayer from Ninth Day | EWTN)

Contributed by: Laforcade Family, St Louise Parish.

• Litany of the Holy Spirit
• 500 Praises to the Holy Spirit (Pray a few of them as you can)