For me, meekness usually brings to mind words like "mild-mannered," "timid," and even the implication of weakness. In a culture that places high value on possessing power and influence, it's hard to understand what Jesus means when he says, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land" (Mt 5:5). On the surface, meekness seems to indicate a shrinking of our thoughts and personalities, a sort of spiritual stuntedness that renders us passive and bland. But to be meek actually takes great strength. Archbishop Fulton Sheen describes meekness in his book "The Cross and the Beatitudes" in this way: "Meekness is not cowardice; meekness is not an easygoing temperament, sluggish and hard to arouse; meekness is not a spineless…