Coping with One’s Failures
When I realize that I have failed in one of my resolutions, I will perform an act contrary to the omission committed, an act of sorrow for the defect with which I was able to darken the purity of perfection. (OOCC, X, p. 6; STA, 2)
As long as a Christian remains a human person in the world, he is bound to fail despite his good intentions and resolutions to act in the best way possible. Being aware of this truth, St. Vincent demanded humility and confidence on the part of the one who failed in coping with his failures. A person needs humility to accept honestly his failure. For St. Vincent, discouragement when confronted with failure is a sign of pride, as the person does not want to accept the fact that he is weak, limited, and that he has failed. When a person accepts the situation of his failure in all truthfulness, instead of giving himself to despair and discouragement, he can open himself to the grace of God with confidence. With God’s grace he can begin rebuilding his spiritual life once again. Hence, St. Vincent admonishes his followers not to be agitated when they fail, but to learn to be sorry in all humility and hopefully move towards God’s throne of grace, because God resists the proud and gives his grace to the humble. A humble person will always be ready to begin again. St. Vincent applied the same principle in his own life as well. He said that if he failed in one of his resolutions, in all humility he would acknowledge his failure before God with deep sorrow in his heart. Then he would perform an action that is contrary to the omission he committed.
How do I cope with failures in my spiritual living? Do I accept my failures in true humility? Am I genuinely sorry for my failures? Do I approach the grace of God with hope and confidence? Do I begin again by performing actions contrary to my omission or commission?
See to it that no one is deprived from the grace of God. (Heb. 12: 15)