Nazarene virtue: Sincerity

 

SINCERITY

One of the most important qualities that a person can posses is sincerity. It is the ability to be true to oneself and one’s beliefs. Sincerity is key in any relationship because it allows for trust to be built and confidence to be conveyed. 

As we in a season of Advent contemplating and waiting for the messiah to be born again in our hearts. Let us talk about the sincerity of Mary and Joseph. God, the Father has chosen as a mother of his own loving son by seeing the righteousness and sincerity of her. God helped her perplexity by the very words of God through the angel “Do not be afraid, Mary, For you have found favor with God.”  

Let’s look into Joseph, knowing that Mary was pregnant, he did not know what to do, he was in anxiety, dilemma. He was just and did not want to divorce her, decided to dismiss her in secret (Mt 1:19). There comes the God’s intervention, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said to him “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary, your wife, with you, because what is conceived in her comes from the Holy Spirit…” (Mt 1:20). The Lord rewards the righteousness and sincerity of Joseph who did not seek himself or his interests, but wondered what was God’s will and the greatest good for Mary Most Holy. He was praying, reflecting, pondering in the light of faith.

This means we need to cultivate the virtue of Sincerity and Trust in one’s vocation. Whether it is in marriage, single life, or religious life. We need to be sincere to the vocation that God has given. When you fall in love with your vocation, the natural thing to do is give yourself to it. That’s what I think. It’s just a form of sincerity. 

The problems comes in our family and community life. In that tough times we need to be sincere to the promises we made. Then God will communicate us like he communicated to Mary and Joseph: “Do not be afraid to take face your problems, I am with you always.”

"Insincerity is always weakness; sincerity even in error is strength". George Henry Lewes