…"If My people who bear My name, humble themselves and pray and seek My presence and turn from their wicked ways, I Myself will hear from Heaven and forgive their sins…" (2 Chron. 7:14) – "You will see that in prayer you will find more knowledge, more light, more strength, more grace and virtue than you could ever achieve by reading many books, or by great studies. Never consider as wasted the time you spend in prayer. You will discover that in prayer God communicates to you the light, strength and grace you need…" (Sr Lucia dos Santos)
To preserve our cheerfulness amid sicknesses and troubles is a sign of a right and and good spirit.
A man should not ask tribulations of God, presuming on his being able to bear them: there should be the greatest possible caution in this matter, for he who bears what God sends him daily does not do a small thing.
They who have been exercised in the service of God for a long time, may in their prayers imagine all sorts of insults offered to them, such as blows, wounds, and the like, and so in order to imitate Christ by their charity, may accustom their hearts beforehand to forgive real injuries when they come.
Let us think of Mary, for she that unspeakable Virgin, that glorious Lady, who conceived and brought forth, without detriment to her virginity, him whom the width of the heavens cannot contain within itself.
The true servant of God acknowledges no country but heaven.
When God infuses extraordinary sweetnesses into the soul, a man ought to prepare for some serious tribulation or temptation. When we have these extraordinary sweetnesses, we ought to ask of God fortitude to bear whatever he may please to send us, and then to stand very much upon our guard, because there is danger of sin behind.
One of the most excellent means of obtaining perseverance is discretion; we must not wish to do everything at once, or become a saint in four days…
A man should not so attach himself to the means as to forget the end; neither must we give ourselves so much to mortify the flesh as to forget to mortify the brain, which is the chief thing after all.
“If anyone speaks, let it be as with words of God.” In this admonition St Peter in his first Epistle sets us a standard, although a perfectly logical one. If we are Christians, Peter is saying, then we ought to talk like Christians. The words that we speak should be words that would not be out of place on the lips of Christ Himself.
NOT CONFINED TO RELIGIOUS TOPICS
This does not mean that all our conversation should be confined to religious topics. The Gospels record for us a very small percentage of our Lord’s conversations. It is only His words of major importance and of universal application that are related by the Evangelists.
JESUS IS FULLY HUMAN
However, Jesus is fully human, and we can be sure that He took part in ordinary, every day human conversation. With His disciples and other friends He undoubtedly discussed local politics, the weather and the happenings around Him – the comic, tragic or just plain interesting incidents which make up an ordinary day.
THE THREE NOTABLE CHARACTERISTICS OF A CHRISTLIKE CONVERSATION
No, we do not have to be perpetually preaching in order to speak ‘with words of God.’ Even in the most casual chat there is a Christlike way of speaking. There are three notable qualities which characterise such conversation. These qualities are charity, humility and sincerity.
WHAT NOT TO MAKE TOPICS OF CONVERSATION
CHARITY bars from our conversation all that might give unnecessary pain to another. Sarcasm, ridicule, fault-finding, angry or resentful remarks – none of these, surely, would reflect Christ to our listeners. Equally foreign to the lips of Christ would be every type of unkind gossip, every type of tale-bearing, slander or detraction.
ONE-UPMANSHIP AND OTHER CONVERSATION HABITS
Perhaps a little less obvious than the need for charity is the need for HUMILITY in our conversation. There is no one (God excepted, let us hope) whom we love more than ourselves. Consequently it is a real struggle to keep self to a minimum in our talk.
Most of us are too sophisticated to indulge in outright bragging. Just listen to us, though, as we manage to mention (so very offhandedly!) some small triumph of ours or a compliment someone has paid us or an honour that has been accorded us.
Then there is the matter of one-upmanship, as it is called. This consists of topping the other person’s experiences. If someone mentions having had a serious operation, we describe our own much more serious one. If another person speaks of his trip to Mexico, we tell about our trip to Europe. If the speaker recalls an unusual bridge hand he held last night, we can remember a still more freakish hand which we held a week ago.
THE VERY TRICKIEST PART
SINCERITY is the third quality which characterises the conversation of a Christian. Insincerity is a much more difficult defect to spot in ourselves than is either uncharitableness or self-centredness. The reason is that usually we are not trying deliberately to deceive other persons. We first of all deceive ourselves and others only incidentally.
INCIDENTAL DECEPTIONS
All too often in conversation we say what we think we ought to say and try to convince ourselves that we really mean it. We stifle the small voice inside us which whispers, ‘You’re talking hogwash and you know it. You don’t really believe what you’re saying.’
AGREEING FOR POLITENESS’ SAKE
Sincerity does not demand that we stud our conversation with disagreeable truths or opposing opinions which may give offence without accomplishing any proportionate good. Sometimes it is more Christian to be silent. However, any time we catch ourselves saying or agreeing to something which is contrary to our own convictions, we are compromising our integrity. And we are not talking Christ’s language.
ARE WE UP TO THE CHALLENGE?
We may be tempted to feel that Christlike conversation is beyond us. There is too much to guard against. We simply cannot be that alert all the time.
True, we probably never will achieve absolute perfection. Nevertheless, with a little effort we certainly can speak ‘with words of God’ much more consistently than we do. We shall find it a challenging experience to try to go through just one day (for a starter) with our conversation keyed to the question, ‘What would Jesus probably say under these circumstances?’
It may tend to curtail our conversation somewhat. But no matter. Most of us talk too much anyway.
“THE DEVIL IS PREPARING A MASSIVE ASSAULT ON THE CHURCH. BUT PRAY AND TRUST; VICTORY WILL BE MINE”
Sister Lucia dos Santos, one of the little shepherds of Fatima, “gives two clues why ‘saying yes to life’ is becoming heroic in our day. The first clue…: ‘It is sad that so many are allowing themselves to be dominated by the diabolical wave that is sweeping the world and they are so blind that they cannot see their error.’ The second…: ‘The principal cause of evil in the world…is the lack of union with God in prayer. If we are not careful and attentive in obtaining the strength from God, we will fail because our times are very bad and we are weak.’
Support for Sister Lucia’s claim that our evil times are the result of a ‘diabolical wave sweeping the world’ is to be found in the revelations of a modern mystic, Alexandrina da Costa, who died in Balasar, Portugal on October 13, 1955.
Her biographer, the late Francis Johnston, writes at one point: ‘During this arduous, rapturous period, her ecstasies gravitated more towards the state of the Church and the world. She received a piercing gift of prophesy and foretold many events that subsequently happened… Frequently, while in ecstasy, Alexandrina was heard lamenting and praying aloud for the Church, which she saw in danger of a ‘great crisis’ and threatened by a ‘wild beast’. She was heard quoting Our Lord as follows: ‘Tell My ministers to be vigilant, for the devil is preparing a massive assault on the Church. But pray and trust; victory will be Mine.’ (For over thirteen years, Alexandrina maintained a perfect fast, neither eating nor drinking anything except for the reception of Holy Communion. Rome is studying her case for possible beatification.)
It is a curious fact that those who are most ardent in their belief in God also believe strongly in the devil. The reverse is also true: Those who are not on fire with the love of God, either do not believe in the devil at all, or they do not think that he is very powerful, which is just the way the devil would have it. A great deal of his success and/or his power and influence comes from people’s failing to acknowledge either his existence or his activity – or both!
To the testimony of Sister Lucia and of Alexandrina da Costa – not only to the existence of Satan but to his powerful influence – I would like to add a third voice, that of Sister Josefa Menendez, who died in Poitiers, France, in 1923 after barely four years as a Religious of the Sacred Heart.
In her biography, written by another Religious of the Sacred Heart, we read the following: ‘The hour of the Prince of Darkness had struck, and Josefa entered the lists against him. She was now to meet him at every turn. But Our Lord fought in her and was preparing the most humiliating of defeats for Satan…by means of the frail instrument that Josefa was, we can see a combat between God and Satan, between Charity and hatred.
‘All the demon’s efforts during that long period of nine months were centred and concentrated on the destruction of Josefa’s religious vocation. [She was a novice at the time.] He spared nothing to bend her to his will, violent temptations, fear of crushing responsibility by which he terrified her, perfidious falsehoods that alarmed her conscience, obsessions that, so to speak, endowed her with a dual personality, and made her think what she did not believe, and do what she did not want to do, without allowing her at the time to discern that she was under diabolic domination, [which included], deceptive and menacing appearances, blows, abductions and burnings…all [of which] were hurled at the frail child as a tornado, in which it would seem she must suffer shipwreck.’
In this last case, Satan worked quite openly, as in the case of St John Vianney, the holy Cure of Ars, implicitly acknowledging thereby the ineffectiveness of his disguises. But almost always, and as a general norm, he prefers to work quietly, indirectly and THROUGH OTHERS, who are more susceptible to his wiles. Today, Sister Lucia asserts that there are many ‘who are allowing themselves to be dominated by the diabolical wave that is sweeping the world and are so blind they cannot see their error.’
MANIFESTATIONS OF THE CULTURE OF DEATH IN TODAY’S SOCIETY
We must keep in mind [all through the following section] that the true Christian spirit is one of love, of life and of sacrifice. [The problem is] the contrast, the wide gulf between this true Christian spirit and the spirit of the world, dominated by the evil spirit as it is”: (1)
The attitudes and laws of many states have been changes in ways that are contrary to the respect of human life.
ABORTION is the intentional killing of a child between conception and birth. It is wrong because it attacks the sanctity of a life made in the image of God. Modern contraceptive pills, which are partly and sometimes entirely based on synthetic progesterone, also sometimes act as abortifacients.
EUTHANASIA is assisted suicide, which prevents God’s completion of a life and corrodes respect for the old and infirm. It also prepares the way for the more general and involuntary killing of those judged unfit to live.
HUMAN CLONING is the artificial duplication of human beings. IN VITRO FERTILISATION (IVF) is artificial non-sexual procreation. They attack the dignity of the child, the sanctity of natural procreation and lead in practice to the mass destruction of embryos.
DIVORCE, COHABITATION AND CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS destabilise and devalue the dignity of natural Marriage and the family as the true foundations of society.
ARTIFICIAL CONTRACEPTION AND HOMOSEXUAL ACTIVITY separate the gift of sexuality from procreation or married love altogether, contributing to a sexually irresponsible and sterile culture.
WHAT WE CAN DO:
It is a work of mercy to avoid these practices ourselves and to help others avoid them by word and example.
The message of Fatima has been given to us by the Mother of God Herself. In 1917 she spoke to the three shepherd children and through them told us to stop offending God, because He is already too much offended by the sins of mankind. Perhaps we know the message well, but are we doing all we can to actually live it and spread it to others? Enormous perils face our troubled and sinful world of today. Here a summary of what we should do in order to respond to Our Lady’s Motherly plea to her children:
– OFFER UP OUR DAILY DUTIES AS A SACRIFICE for the conversion of sinners and in reparation for our sins and those of others. Jesus said: “The penance that I request and require now is the sacrifice demanded of everybody by the accomplishment of his own duty and the observance of My Law.”
– SAY THE ROSARY EVERY DAY – at least five decades – whilst meditating on the various mysteries, ending each mystery with the prayer: “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.” The Rosary is the scourge of the devil and a prayer which is pleasing to God.
– WEAR THE BROWN SCAPULAR as a sign of our personal consecration to Our Lady and make acts of reparation to Her Immaculate Heart.
– ATTEND HOLY MASS EVEN DAILY, if possible, and spend more time in ADORATION BEFORE THE MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT. This will prove to be the most valuable time of our life.
– PRAY AND OFFER SACRIFICES FOR THE CONVERSION OF POOR SINNERS saying the prayer which Our Lady gave to the three shepherds: “O Jesus, it is for love of You, for the conversion of poor sinners and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”
– PRACTISE THE FIVE FIRST SATURDAYS OF THE MONTH
– CONSECRATE OURSELVES AND OUR FAMILIES TO THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY. Our Lady told the children that “God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart.
Pope Pius XII said: “The time for doubting Fatima is past; it is now time for action. In the Old Testament God repeatedly sent the Prophets to remind His people of their eternal destiny and to warn and even punish them when they strayed from the path of salvation. Today He send the Queen of Prophets Herself, entrusted with the same message to all people of today’s world: “Pray, do penance for your sins, amend your lives, or God will be compelled to let fall the arm of His justice.”
Fatima is a loud warning bell for us all to amend our lives; a loving invitation for sincere contrition on our part.
From a pious leaflet. – Part (1) quoted from: Msgr. Joseph A. Cirrincione
Can… material advance be really considered as indicating a true progress in man himself, whether we take him individually or socially?
Is he, for instance, happier, more contented now than he was, say, in the middle ages? Has he learned to perfect his moral nature, to live up to his idea of duty with greater consistency? Does he curb and restrain his animal passions the more efficaciously for having conquered the forces of nature? Is he less a slave to anger, hatred, jealousy, covetousness, lust, intemperance, than were his forefathers of ruder days?
And in the social sphere a modern writer has asked very pertinently, “Are kingdoms and nations welded together in closer unity? Have statesmen notably improved in the methods of governing a people, or have they added anything of consequence to the political concepts elaborated by Plato and Aristotelean?
In the domain of the of the mind and the arts, does man at this day use his reasoning powers to better effect than the philosophers of old? Does his statuary surpass that of the ancient Greeks, or his painting that of the Renaissance? Does his architecture stand on a level with that of the Egyptian Pharaohs or the Cathedral builders, or do his poets and writers outstrip in genius, in versatility, in elegance of style, the classical authors of the great period in the history of literature?
Evolution on these lines would imply a true advance of man as man; but in point of fact his intellectual stature, like his bodily, appears in the main to be stationary; the Piltdown skull is even that of man to-day.
… In a certain large sense, we may allow that there has been an evolutionary progress in the religious world as well as in the material. The paganism of antiquity has yielded to a nobler and more spiritual conception of the Godhead. Christianity itself may be considered as being evolved from Judaism. The saints again, though always in a very small minority, have been increasing in number with the growth of the population and the spread of the Gospel. Thus we are gradually being lifted into clearer spiritual regions where we view things from a higher standpoint and can better appreciate what are the true values.
We ask ourselves what can be the thoughts of those blessed spirits, as they look down upon this poor earth, scarred and disfigured as it is by sin and the consequences of sin, on this earth where once they lived and fought and suffered? How paltry and insignificant it must all appear to their eyes; how trivial and unimportant most of our plans, endeavours, discoveries, our politics, our domestic dissentions, our international rivalries; how short-lived our joys and our sorrows, how vain our solicitudes, how deceptive the baubles upon we set our hearts.
In their sight human progress resolves itself into the question: Is religion striking deeper roots? Is God more feared, better served, more filially loved? All else is of this earth, an iridescent bubble that bursts in a moment and leaves but vacuity behind. Holiness alone is abiding. Not only does it raise and ennoble a man here below, but it accompanies him to that land beyond the stars where progress is unknown, for the ideal has been reached and the possession thereof is eternal.
… Worldwide suffering [has] brought home to us most convincingly that the answer to the question we have put above is an emphatic negative. The world, in getting rid or rather striving to get rid of God and religion, has by an inevitable nemesis brought upon itself all its present horrors, miseries, and sufferings. It is of such a godless world that St John warned us when he said,
Love not the world nor the things that are in the world… for all that is in the world is the concupiscence of the flesh, the concupiscence of the eyes and the pride of life (1John 2:15-16).
Men in neglecting and forgetting God have lived for time and not for eternity, and time has betrayed them even to their temporal and, it may be, alas, in some cases, to their eternal ruin.
From: Lift Up Your Hearts, Christopher J. Wilmot, The Catholic Book Club, London, 1949
On the eleventh day of February, 1895, on the forty-first anniversary of the revelation of Our Lady at Lourdes, M. Jaures spoke as follows in the French Chamber of Deputies: “The most priceless good conquered by man through all his sufferings and struggles, and despite all his prejudices, is the idea that there is no sacred truth; that all truth which does not come from us is a lie… if God Himself ever appeared before men, the first duty of man would be to refuse obedience and to consider Him as an equal with us, not as a Master to Whom we should submit.” This affirmation of man as against God is not new, except in its verbiage.
From the very beginning, man was a rebel against his Divine destiny; consider the steward, who pretends to be the master of the vineyard, and then kills the messengers of the Lord; the prodigal son who demands his share of the substance, and then squanders it. Man has acted thus in the past, and now the revolution is again in full swing.
PRIDE AT ONE END, HOPELESSNESS AT THE OTHER
A modern writer, explaining why he became Communist, answered that one must go back to the Garden of Eden to understand the real reason. There, Satan tempted man, promising that “he would be like God.” The most daring of all sins is that of self-deification, and it is possible only because of a Divine creation, for who would want to be God unless he had come from the hands of God? The human “I” was not made for the “I” alone, but for God’s service.
The man, therefore, who refuses to seek the perfection of his personality, namely, God, must do one of two things: he must either inflate himself into an infinity, and identify himself in a fantastic swelling with the dimensions of God; or else, he must suffer a terrible emptiness and void within his ego, which is the beginning of despair. Thus there is pride at the one end of the mystical self and hopelessness at the other.
THE FAITHFUL: OBEDIENCE SPRINGING FROM LOVE
To correct this false deification of man, it is important once more to investigate the meaning of obedience. Obedience does not mean the execution of orders that are given by a drill sergeant. It springs, rather, from the love of an order, and the love of Him Who gave it. The merit of obedience is less in the act than in the love; the submission, the devotion and the service which obedience implies, are not born of servitude, but are rather effects that spring from and are unified by love.
To comprehend obedience, one must study it between two great moments. The first moment was when a woman made an act of obedience to the Will of God: “Be it done unto me according to thy word.” The other moment was when a woman asked man to be obedient to God: “Whatsoever he shall say to thee, that do ye.” Between these historical facts is the story told by Luke: “And after they had performed all things according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their City, Nazareth. And the Child grew and waxed strong, full of wisdom: and the grace of God was in Him… And He went down with them and came to Nazareth and was subject to them. And His Mother kept all these words in Her heart. And Jesus advanced in wisdom, age and grace with God and men” (Luke 39:40:51:52).
In reparation for the pride of men, Our Blessed Lord humbled Himself in obedience to His parents: “And He was subject to them.” It was God Who was subject to man. God, Whom the principalities and powers obey, subjected Himself not only to Mary, but to Joseph too, because of Mary.
– This article was published with the title “Obedience and Love” in De vita contemplativa, Monthly Magazine for Monasteries, issue number 2012, year VI, December 2012; headings in capital letters added afterwards for this blog.
“Do not be afraid.” These were the reassuring words of Jesus to Peter, James and John as they groveled on the ground at the sight of His transfiguration. They were frightened to find themselves on such intimate terms with divinity.
Our Lord’s words had a much wider range, however, than the disciples’ present moment of confusion. Very soon Jesus would die in disgrace, apparently helpless to defend Himself. The apostles (Judas excepted) would survive this test of their faith, but then they themselves would become the victims of persecution. There would be times when every man’s hand would seem to be set against them. In the end they would be faced with the choice of denying Christ or suffering violent death.
It undoubtedly was with all this in mind that Jesus said, ‘Do not be afraid.’ They had seen His glory. They would remember Tabor. They would know that Jesus was with them through all their trials.
‘Do not be afraid.’ It is the constant remembrance of this admonition which will give serenity to our own lives.
“Come to Me, all you who labour and are burdened”
God loves us. Unceasingly we have His attention, His whole attention, His concerned attention. There is not a thing which happens to us of which God does not take note. Time and again in the Gospels our Lord tries to inspire our confidence in this loving care which He has for us.
‘Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing?’ He reminds us. ‘And yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s leave… Therefore do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.’ Then there is the beautiful parable of the lilies of the field whose raiment exceeds in beauty the robes of Solomon, and Jesus’ conclusion: ‘How much more you, O you of little faith!’
From His quiet invitation, ‘Come to Me, all you who labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest,’ to His majestic, ‘Behold, I am with you all days, even unto the consummation of the world,’ Jesus keeps appealing for our trust.
Situations which test our confidence in God
We might be tempted to think that our Lord has been unduly repetitious in this matter, except for our own experience. Shamefacedly we have to admit that we still forget His assurances, still burn up an untold amount of nervous energy in unprofitable worry.
All of us are faced, and faced frequently, with situations which test our confidence in God. Some of these anxiety-producers are small ones, others are of major proportion. ‘I really should attend that funeral tomorrow, but if I do how shall I get my washing done?’ ‘I have to give a speech at the meeting and I’m frightened to death. What shall I say?’
‘I studied so hard for that exam, and still I flunked it.’ ‘The bills keep piling up. How shall we ever get out of debt?’ ‘If the diagnosis is cancer, how shall I ever bear it? And what will become of my family?’ ‘If I had taken the baby to the doctor sooner, I’m sure she wouldn’t have died.’
Out of all that happens to me God is going to bring good
In these and a million other worries and regrets, there are a few basic facts which we have to keep repeating to ourselves, over and over. God does love me. God does know and God does care what happens to me. Whatever happens to me (my own sins excepted) is God’s permissive will, is part of God’s plan for me and for those who depend on me. Even my mistakes, my well-intentioned mistakes, are a part of His plan.
Out of all that happens to me God is going to bring good; otherwise He would not let it happen. God knows my weaknesses and makes generous allowance for them. All that He asks is that I do my best, however inadequate that best may sometimes seem. When I have done my best, whether the result is success or failure, I can leave it to God to work it into His plan for me. Finally, I can never, never lose when I choose to do God’s will as I see it, no matter what human wisdom may dictate to the contrary.
Inner strength and tranquillity
We must be realistic. Trust in God will not stifle sorrow. It will not eliminate disappointment. It will not still all apprehension. Our emotions are not easily controlled. But trust in God will give us an inner strength and a fundamental tranquillity. Trust in God will keep us from defeatism and despair.
The problems which we make for ourselves by an anxious forecasting of the future are not crosses which come from God. Let us not tempt Him by our false wisdom, trying to forestall His arrangements and to substitute our own providence for His. The fruit of our wisdom is always bitter; God permits this to confound us, when we break from His paternal guidance.
The future is not yet ours; perhaps it never shall be. If it does come, perhaps it will be quite different from what we have forecast. Let us close our eyes, then, to what God conceals from us, and holds in reserve for us in the treasure-house of His wisdom. Let us adore without seeing, let us be silent and rest tranquil.
WHY ALL PREDICTED EVENTS TURN OUT FULL OF PROBLEMS AND WORRIES IF THEY DO HAPPEN
The crosses of the present moment always bring with them their own special grace, and consequently their consolation. We are conscious that it is the Hand of God which makes itself felt in them.
But the crosses which spring from anxious forecasting of the future are seen to be out of God’s order. We see them without having the grace to bear them; nay, we see them through a failing which turns aside grace.
Hence they appear harsh and unbearable; all is dark; we feel ourselves without resource; and the soul that wished, through curiosity, to taste the forbidden fruit, finds only death and revolt, with no consolation within itself.
This is the result of mistrusting God, and daring to violate His secret, which He guards jealously. ‘Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof,’ says Jesus Christ; and the evil of each day becomes a blessing when we submit to God’s good pleasure. Let us, then, cast all our cares into the heart of so good a Father. (Fr Fenelon)
O eternal God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the beginning and end of all things, in whom we live and move and have our being, prostrate before thee in body and soul, I adore thee with the most profound humility.
I bless thee and give thee thanks for all the benefits thou hast conferred upon me, especially that thou hast created me out of nothing, made me after thine own image and likeness, redeemed me with the Precious Blood of thy Son, and sanctified me with thy Holy Spirit.
I thank thee that thou hast called me into thy Church, helped me by thy grace, admitted me to thy Sacraments, watched over me by thy special Providence, blessed me, notwithstanding my sins and unworthiness, with thy continuing and gracious protection, and for all the innumerable blessings which I owe to thy undeserved bounty.
I thank thee especially for having preserved me during the past night and for bringing me in safety to the beginning of another day.
What return can I make to thee, my God, for all that thou hast done for me? I will bless thy Holy Name and serve thee all the days of my life. Bless the Lord, my soul, and let all that is within me praise His Holy Name. Amen.
If you wish always to press forward on the path of virtue without stopping, you should pay great attention to things which may serve as chances for acquiring virtue, and never let them slip out of your hands.
Therefore those are ill-advised who do everything in their power to avoid any kind of obstacles in their path of virtue, in spite of the fact that these might have helped towards success in their progress. For example, if you wish to gain the habit of patience, you should not avoid the people, things and circumstances which particularly try your patience.
Meet them with a good will and the resolve to submit to their unpleasant effect on you, but at the same time prepare yourself to suffer them with unshakeable calmness of spirit. If you do not act thus, you will never learn patience.
You should adopt the same attitude towards any work which displeases you, either in itself or because it is imposed on you by a man you dislike, or because it interferes with the work you do like. In other words, you must not avoid it but, on the contrary, must undertake it without digging in your toes, and must do and finish it through, as though it were the most welcome work, never letting your heart be troubled by it, especially by the thought that, were it not for this business, you would be completely at peace.
Otherwise you will never learn to bear the afflictions you will meet; nor will you find the true peace you seek by running away from such things, obviously through self-indulgence; for peace does not dwell in self-indulgent hearts.
I advise you to do the same in relation to the thoughts, which at times invade you and trouble your mind with memories of human injustices and other inappropriate things. Do not stifle them or drive them away, but let them leave you of their own accord, not through your opposition, but through the patience with which you endure them. Fr Lorenzo Scupoli, 16th century
The love of our neighbour, and of our enemy also, is the chief token of the Christian; since it is only by this love that we become like Christ, and resemble our Heavenly Father, who makes his sun to shine upon the evil and the good, and sendeth rains upon the just and upon the unjust. (Matthew 5:45). Let us, therefore, imitate the love of God, of Christ, and of Saint Stephen, and then we may one day be able to give up our souls with calmness into the hands of our Maker.
Prayers4reparation's Blog 