When some cross presents itself in our life, let us not fear; for the All-Powerful Child has plans for those whom he loves; plans of such unfathomable beauty and wonder.
GLADE PARK, CO (Catholic Online) - Christmas is upon us; the Child has arrived; his presence brings inexpressible joy to those who love him. In that joy, each and every Christmas, a new world opens before us as disciples of Christ who plumb the depths of God Incarnate’s love.
At prayer, we begin to see something of the boundless Trinitarian river of love. How we so desire to enter into it! Yet there are many tensions in our lives which can cause us to remain some distance away. There are concerns, fears and obstacles; there is some misunderstanding, some darkness in the intellect. There, too, are temptations which labor against our Faith.
A temptation which often presents itself is one which encourages us to separate those unfortunate, tense or even frightening circumstances we encounter in life from God’s plan for us. We tend to think our troubles in life are outside of God’s providence, and that if we can only extricate ourselves from them we will, then, be happy. The thought is that an unpalatable circumstance is entirely random – what some would call "bad luck".
In the quest to distance ourselves from every anxiety, we often begin to live in such a way as to constantly seek change for "the better". There is a self-inflicted stress in such a life; a nervous movement toward some savored goal which, once attained, turns out empty. It is like chasing a mirage. The image presents itself in what seems such clarity. Yet it can never be reached. It is an illusion.
Everyone experiences unhappiness. As St. Augustine so wonderfully expressed, our hearts will not rest until they rest in God. We will not be fully and completely happy until that point at which we are face to face with God, caught up in the Beatific Vision. Yet, though unhappiness and suffering comes to all, there is a strong tendency to develop a disordered fear of such realities. A cause of this fear is some degree of distrust in God; an effect of the same is distress. Then, when something unpleasant happens, we feel that we have been abandoned.
Further, when what we perceive as a terrible circumstance occurs, we find it difficult to imagine how something good could come of it. We tend to fixate on the arrival of some suffering, closing our eyes to what lies beyond. We self-limit our sight, so to speak: we have an obdurate tendency to evaluate based only on our senses: we see only what reaches the eyes; we hear only what sounds in the ears; we feel only what can be physically touched. Yet if we are to live with the Christ Child we have to look beyond the surface; we have to have eternal sight; we have to hear with our hearts, sense with our immortal and spiritual souls.
If we truly have faith it should not be so difficult to trust God. Understand that what things appear to be on the surface are just that: surface appearances. There is so much more. And it is all in God’s control. Catholics and other Christians believe in the All-Powerful God who is infinitely capable and loving; a personal God who created us, cares for us, and guides us. Nevertheless, it is unfortunate that many see little but randomness in life and chaos in Providence.
There is hardly a more terrifying example of suffering than Auschwitz. In exchange of his life for another, St. Maximilian Kolbe was put to a torturous death there. Yet we can be certain that he is now thrilled over what some might see as only a tragic end to his life. With wisdom from heaven, St. Maximilian illuminates the relationship between happiness and the misunderstood circumstances of life: "We are sometimes depressed because we do not see the relationship that exists between our happiness and these circumstances which sadden us; on the contrary, because of our minds’ limitation, we are unable to grasp everything. By having faith in God, even without understanding things directly, we can give him great glory, because we acknowledge his wisdom, his goodness, and his power."
While the suffering at Auschwitz was horrifically evil, the sadness St. Maximilian encountered there was temporary. Further, by embracing the cross of suffering which was presented to him, he transformed suffering into a reality of joy. Is that not what Christ did? By all appearances, our Lord’s suffering on the Cross was nothing but defeat. Yet in its true dimension it was a success so great as to be unimaginable.
As the frightening realities of the Holocaust raged around St. Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein), she wrote of the cross which had been placed upon the Jewish people: "Most of them will not understand it. But those who do understand must accept it willingly in the name of all. I wanted to do that. . . . But in what the bearing of the cross was to consist I did not yet know." One week after arriving at Auschwitz, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross and her sister Rosa were sent to the gas chambers.
As yet another example, ...
Thank you so much for this great article. Christmas is a joyful season but the road to Bethlehem is indeed full of sufferings. For those who are suffering this Xmas, let us bind our sufferings with Christ and be part of His salvific plans for humankind.
What an inspiring article is this. As we end this year and look forward to a new one to-morrow, it is a perfect gift for renewing our resolution to follow Christ no matter what obstacles we encounter on this journey to Eternal Life. Praise be Baby Jesus
I have been reading "THE LIVES OF THE SAINTS" from childhood to date. It was the very first book I was taught to read. I do a lot of "spiritual reading" daily including scriptures, & find this article so powerful that I'm posting it to "facebook" for thousands there to read. Thank you so very much for this writing, it will possibly change thousands of live's!! God bless you forever, amen.
Oh, the healing salve of Catholic media! Wounds in excess need this more than ever today. They join those of Jesus whose Gospel you help tell so well. Thank you!
I belive that God moves us in a direction that we need to go. I came across this website by chance but I needed to come across the message as it was a message for me and my loved one. God is good.
I can say i have waivered with my faith as again my soulmate came back in my life only to leave again. its sad but i will let her do it again too. lord, pray for my blessing of her or direct me in the right way. I have ran into 13 months of pain and i need to be blessed and relieved
A just and holy man is being persecuted. Please pray that his cross borne with perseverence, his burden will be lightened, and he wlll attain even more holiness through his suffering.
Though we don't know God's intention for us until we arrive at the point of his intention, pray that we learn each facet of each lesson that he is offering us for the growth of our spirit and our effect in the world. Pray, also, for the strength and grace to bear each gift with Christ's love.
God grant me the grace to always look beyond what I experience in the present knowing well enough that Christ knew me before I was formed in my mother's womb.
A really wonderful book to read on suffering and God's infinite love for us is:"The Way of Divine Love"' by Sister Josefa Menedez. This is a spiritual classic you do not want to miss!