May 24, 2013
PART 4
Piety the fifth of the Sevenfold Gifts, St. Bonaventure
Fifth, grant us piety, by which we may acquire compassionate hearts.
The word piety comes from the Latin word pietas, and it reflected an important value within the Roman culture which emphasized a person’s need to show respect to the gods and the Roman culture. It was often understood as the way one would win the favor and forgiveness of the gods. Within the Christian faith, the grace revealed in Jesus Christ reminds us that God’s favor and forgiveness are not earned. God is love, and we receive favor and forgiveness because that’s the nature and character of God. Take a few minutes to silently reflect on the difference between earning favor and forgiveness versus receiving favor and forgiveness as a gift. How might a person’s relationship to the divine look differently? How does it change a person’s perspective on acts of piety. If you are doing good things to earn something, isn’t the act ultimately self-serving. If you are doing it in gratitude for a free gift and to demonstrate that same grace to others, is it self-serving?
