The CompariSIN Series
A Father Mike Schmitz Homily Series (Fall 2019)
“Comparison is the thief of joy.”
Have you heard this quote before? This quote is one of the foundations of this series. Check out this short video to get you thinking on how comparison may impact you today.
CompariSIN Part 1
The Way of Comparison
The first part of this series will set the stage on the topic of comparison. Oftentimes, we probably don’t think about the act of comparing, and it is probably so engrained in our mind, that it doesn’t stand out. But, take a step back, and reflect. Really think about times you made a comparison of yourself to someone else, that may be just a little better than you. How does that make you feel. Now for some, they may say it leads to added motivation, which is great. The important thing to note is: don’t let comparison steal away your joy.
CompariSIN Part 2
Infinitely Preferred
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (John 3: 16, NABRE)
How well do you know yourself and who you are? Do you have enough self-confidence? If you have areas where you are weak in confidence, the doors are open for comparison to eat at you. Thinking about God’s love for us, we need to continue to remember that God made you, and He loves you. Our challenge in this installment is to grow our security of ourselves, and live out God’s will for us.
CompariSIN Part 3
Incomparable
There will always be someone out there that is better at something than we are. Knowing that, how do we continue on without letting comparison get the best of us. As we mentioned earlier, some can harness comparison as a motivation to do better. It is important that we don’t try to fit ourselves into an environment that does not fit well into our life. We are all called by God, but the way we are called does not fit perfectly together like a simple puzzle. Father Mike will highlight a thought on painting a sunrise. You can choose to imitate someone else’s painting, or you can choose to paint your own sunrise. Which do you believe is more rewarding?
CompariSIN Part 4
Stealing Joy
As we’ve learned over the course of this series, comparison can rob us of our joy and our accomplishments. It will highlight our weakness and limitations. This should not stop us. One thing we can continue to consider are the blessings that we already have, without comparing our blessings to someone else’s. You can then take it another level: celebrate accomplishments of ourselves and others. When we celebrate an accomplishment, we recognize the blessings and proclaim how grateful we are. Don’t let others’ successes stop you from celebrating your own. On the same token, don’t let others’ successes, when better than yours, make you bitter. Celebrate their successes as well. The more we celebrate each other, the stronger we all become.
incomparable:
without an equal in quality or extent; matchless
unable to be compared; totally different in nature or extent.
— Oxford Dictionaries