Reflection:

Bitterness, at its core, is the sin of pride and a lack of faith combined. St. Hildegard describes the bitter soul in Liber Vitae Meritorum as dangerous. This soul does not “want to respond to God or his precepts” because he wants to remain as he is. Bitterness is a murderer. It destroys charity.

Hildegard writes the Lord’s response to the bitter soul: 

[Jesus says] “But I am bountiful in rain and dew and in ointment and medicine so that I bring about pleasant things in the rain, joy in the dew, mercy in the ointment, and consolation for all sorrows in the medicine. I will remain this way in all these things and I will reign like this for eternity. However, your material [bitterness] is for Gehenna, the place from which you have risen.”

When we look at the Gospel reading below we will see how Jesus responded in generosity despite the bitterness he encountered from his own people in Nazareth. But look closely, In Mark 6:1-6 we see the Lord’s generosity was limited due to the bitterness and lack of faith of the people:

He departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples.

When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What kind of wisdom has been given him? What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands! Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James and John and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house.” So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.

He was amazed at their lack of faith.”

Bitterness forbids the action of grace in a soul. It murders charity, and instead of looking toward the betterment of others, it looks within itself. Bitterness harbors resentment. It wishes ill upon the one it envies, the one with power over it, the abuser. It desires to elevate itself at the expense of another; it thinks badly of the one who took its place. It wants revenge for the wrongs incurred by an enemy; it plots ways to see the bitter end of the one who transgressed it. Bitterness creates an evil heart. It rises up from Gehenna, the place of punishment for the damned.

Generosity looks at the evil done to it and responds with charity. Jesus harbored no resentment toward those who threatened him, who acted against him, and those who betrayed him. He had no bitterness toward the ones who convicted him, even as they were chanting in unison for his death. He did not hate the ones who dressed him in the purple cloak and mocked him as a king, driving the crown of thorns deep into his skull. He didn’t hold bitterness toward the ones who crucified him, nor to his “al-habbayit” (Isaiah 22) – who denied him thrice before the cock crowed and abandoned him in his darkest hour.  

Jesus always responds with generous love. Immediately after rising from the dead our Lord visits his disciples and offers them peace. He comes with generous love and forgives their transgressions. Then after Jesus ascends into heaven he sends them his Holy Spirit. They are empowered to change their evil ways and make a metamorphosis, a metanoia. Jesus is our living water; he gives us rain and dew. One is a flood of water that soaks and feeds and causes rapid growth intermittently, and the other is a light covering, enough for daily subsistence, a slow and steady quench that keeps us alive until the next rain. Our ability to receive grace depends on our ability to let go of all bitterness, and like our Savior, love in the face of evil and offer peace. 

As the Psalmist says, “Light shines through the darkness for the upright; gracious, compassionate, and righteous.  It is good for the man gracious in lending, who conducts his affairs with justice. For he shall never be shaken; the righteous shall be remembered forever. He shall not fear an ill report; his heart is steadfast, trusting the LORD” (Psalm 112:4-7).

Can you do this? If you can, the Holy Spirit will flood your soul with grace. Jesus loved you unto death on a Cross. His suffering was both physical and spiritual. He took the weight of all your sin and bore it with generous love. He did this so that you could, like his disciples, choose grace and have a metamorphosis, a metanoia. Can you let go of all bitterness? He will fill you with abundant grace when you do. This is why you must reject all bitterness and pray for a generous heart of love. The best way to do this is to meditate on the crucifixion of Christ and do it with a penitent heart. Try to imagine what he did to save your soul from Gehenna.

Going Further:

This week you may want to meditate on 1 John Chapter 3. Consider what the Apostle John is saying about good and evil, and think about St. Hildegard of Bingen’s warning about how the devil tricks those who have bitterness. Maybe you want to journal about your own life. Can you remember ever having bitterness? Have you experienced a time when someone responded to your bitter heart with a generous heart of love? Can you think of a time when you were wronged and you responded with love instead of vengeance? Do you pray for your enemies and do good to those who persecute you?

Let us Pray:

Now that we understand the virtue of generosity, let’s begin with a prayer of petition for it.