Another thing that distracts us is our passion for vindication. St. Augustine prayed, “O Lord, deliver me from this lust to always justify myself.” Such a need for constant vindication destroys our soul’s faith in God. Don’t say, “I must explain myself,” or, “I must get people to understand.” Our Lord never explained anything— He left the misunderstandings or misconceptions of others to correct themselves.
From http://utmost.org
A wise man once said that there is a vast difference between explaining our own actions and making excuses, especially when the excuses are aimed at turning our misdeeds into virtue. At that point, we are merely rationalizing our poor behavior.
Just a thought.
