Kindness begins in the home

If you want to be kind and courteous, you must start that with those in your own family.

It’s often easy to be kind in the workplace or the subway station, but are we charitable to our own family members?

Fr. Francis Xavier Lasance explains in his My Prayer Book that kindness begins in the home.

Home is the place where a man should appear at his best. He who is bearish at home and polite only abroad is no true gentleman; indeed, he who can not be considerate to those of his own household will never be really courteous to strangers.

This may seem obvious, but how often do we put it into practice? Are we truly kind and peaceable with our spouse or children?

If we want to be more kind to others outside the home, we must first start within it.

There is no better training for healthy and pleasant intercourse with the outer world than a bright and cheerful demeanor at home. It is in a person’s home that his real character is seen; as he appears there, so he is really elsewhere, however skillfully he may for the time conceal his true nature.

Indeed, we may be an expert at hiding our true nature to others, but eventually this will get out and others will notice us for who we really are.

Begin the virtuous life at home. Good and holy habits will be formed, which can then be transferred to our everyday life in the world.

Read more:
The role of kindness in the spiritual life

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