勿讓罪愆變成惡習 －聖泰麗莎
啊！親愛的姊妹，凡是人都免不了要犯些罪過，不過要留意勿讓罪愆變成惡習。
說這段話的是我一生僅見的一個最聰明、最聖潔、最愉快的女性，有一次她屬下一個過於拘謹的修女含著眼淚向她譴責自己的劣根性，泰麗莎為了安慰她，就說了上面這段話。
這段雋語既符合常情，又涵蘊著聖者的智慧。當然，人孰能無過，泰麗莎和詩人普潑知道得一樣清楚。偶然的錯失沒有關係，可是一而再地犯罪而不知自拔，就把我們變成了一個連自己也不屑一顧的人物了。我們會為闖下的禍自嘆不值，但如果養成自悲自憐的習慣，就難免會腐蝕自己的人格了。偶爾發一頓脾氣是可以原諒的。可是如果讓發脾氣的惡習主宰了我們，那就無疑是自取毀滅了。我們都喜歡閒聊，這是一種很有趣的調劑。可是閒聊的內容涉及惡意攻訐，就會被人目為討厭、無事生非和罪魁禍首了。
我們之中犯殺人、背信和偷盜的人只是少數，其次不厚道、自私、放縱、怨恨或記仇，怠惰或誹謗也是罪惡。我們中有多少人能全然不犯這些毛病呢？一個明智的人能諒解自己人性上的缺陷，而從事於自我拯救，不使靈魂蒙塵，以及避免重蹈覆轍。
不論我們承認自己在宗教方面的信仰多虔誠，我們中每一個人都渴望作一個被尊敬的人，而我們的信仰也不受管制。泰麗莎的忠告引導我們穿越遍地荊棘的險路，最後達到自尊的境界。
麥金萊（普立茲獎女詩人）
On Self-Respect
“Don’t let your sinsturn into bad habits.”-ST. TERESA OF AVILA
The woman I quotewas one of the wittiest, holiest, most delightful creatures who ever lived. Shewas speaking to a nun of her order, anoverscrupulous girl who came to her in tears, berating herown evil nature. “Ah, my dear,” Teresa consoled her, “all of us are human and prone to sin. Just see to it that you don’t let yoursins turn into bad habits.”
The paradoxis as full of common sense as it is of the saint’s famous salty humor.Certainly to err is human, and Teresa knew it as well as the poet AlexanderPope. It is not the occasional lapse but therepeated fault which turns us into the sort of persons we do not wish to be. Wecan all mourn a trouble. It’s the habit ofself-pity which corrodes character. To fly into a rage now and then isexcusable. But to let a habit of anger master us is to court destruction. Weall like gossip, it’s the amusing small change of conversation. But a habit ofmalice can turn us into bores, troublemakers, monsters of mischief.
Few of us are murderers or traitors orthieves. Yet unkindness is a sin, too, and so is selfishness or intemperance orspite or hate or sloth or detraction. And how many of us are altogether free ofthose flaws? Wisdom lies in the ability to forgive ourselves such humanfailings-to tumble, pick ourselves up, shake the dust off our spirits, and tryto avoid the next mistake.
No matter what degree of religious faith weprofess, all of us yearn to be decent people and we believe in free will. Teresahas given us the best possible advice to follow on the thorny, difficult roadto self-respect.
BY PHYLLIS McGINLEY
PULITZER PRIZE POET,
AUTHOR OF “TIMES THREE”
Sin: （宗教或道德上的）罪，罪孽，罪惡
Quote: 引用；引述
Nun: 修女；尼姑
Berate: 嚴責
Prone: 有……傾向的，易於……的
Paradox: 似非而可能正確的議論
Lapse: （時間的）流逝，間隔; 小錯，失誤
Mourn: 哀痛，哀悼
