Feeding the Wolves
Apr 16th, 2008 by michelle
An old Native American tale tells the story of an elder who told his grandson about the battle that goes on inside of people’s heads: “My son, the battle is between the two ‘wolves’ that live inside of us all. One is Unhappiness: fear, jealousy, worry, anger, self-pity, resentment and inferiority. The other is Happiness: joy, love, hope, serenity, kindness, generosity, truth and compassion.” The grandson thought for a moment and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf wins?” The wise elder simply replied, “The one you feed.”
How appropriate this is for Lent! More often that I would like, I have found myself feeding the first wolf rather than the first. Specifically with large dishes heaped with anger and worry– sprinkled with a little self-pity.
I believe that one of the best Lenten prescriptions for this problem is the Prayer of St. Ephraim. As we fast during Lent, may we feed the wolf of Happiness so that we, in turn, may be filled with joy, love, hope, serenity, kindness, generosity, truth and compassion which may be shared with all.
