Advice from My Mom

Growing up, my mom shared a lot of her wisdom with my brother and sisters and me. One of the best pieces of advice that she gave us came when my sisters and I were fighting. Like all children, we would sometimes tattle on each other. My mom would remind us that there are two sides to every story, and then she would say, "God knows the truth and that is all that matters."

I heard these words so many times from my mom that I internalized them. I learned that false accusations against us and what others say about us doesn't matter. We are not in this world to win approval from our fellow man. We are here to learn to know, love, and serve God. We are here to bring Him greater glory. When Padre Pio (one of my mom's favorite saints - he wasn't canonized until after she died) was calumniated, he followed Christ's example and remained silent. We are called to do the same. 

If someone wrongs us, speaks about us behind our back, and tries to turn others against us, we should simply pray for them. If someone falsely accuses us and leads others to think badly of us, we can simply offer it up. Our focus should not be on earthly matters, it should be on Heaven. Our focus should be on striving to become great saints so that we can one day be with God in Heaven, singing His praises. In the end, God knows the truth and that is all that matters.

St. Padre Pio, ora pro nobis!