PIETY

Piety is godliness and reverence for God. It is a special gift of the Holy Spirit which portrays the quality of faithfulness in a person’s relationship with God. It is not earned or developed by effort, but it is infused, and this helps us see God as our Father and to also relate to Him with affection and devotion.

Have nothing to do with godless and silly myths. Train yourself in godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

1 Timothy 4:7-8

What defines us as Christians is how closely we follow Christ and not our work, families and careers. It means going out in the society and pointing to Jesus in our words and actions. Piety should be our way of living, our attitude. Authentic piety fills us with enthusiasm and joy. Pope Francis described piety as “…opening up one’s heart to God and one’s arms to embrace everyone as brothers and sisters”. It entails fulfilling our duty joyfully to God and to one another. Piety makes us desire to grow in our relationship with God and to pour God’s love on others. It also encourages humility, patience, meekness and submission. Without piety, we would have no revelation and the scripture becomes meaningless to us.