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| Persevere |
Recently I read a meditation by
Father Jean-Nicolas Grou, S.J. in Magnificat about understanding the spirit of faith. After we utterly resign ourselves to God's guidance, grace, and transformation of our lives, He actively seems to try the confidence we have in Him. Everything He does seems to contradict all He has said and promised. Things go terribly wrong, suffering abounds, our prayer life is dry, empty, and depressing. We can't seem to muster up the energy to get anything accomplished spiritually, or for that matter, in our worldly life. We no longer know how we stand with God who has "forsaken us and intends our ruin". In spite of all this desolation, the
truly faithful "persevere in the service of God: they relax nothing; they sacrifice one after the other their dearest interests; they hope against hope in the depths of their hearts". We come to know that God is bringing us "to a state of utter loss, to an absolute sacrifice of ourselves" to give us an assurance and a foretaste of eternity. In a word you are being "perfected" here on earth to a higher state. We cannot "perfect" ourselves and God won't move forward without our full consent. As Franciscans we need to be reminded of the price and spirit of faith. Perseverance is thus the key and the guidepost through this great Christian Paradox: what seems to be punishment is really a gift from God "righting and perfecting" us for what really matters, Eternal Life and a sharing in the perfection of the Blessed Trinity.
JMJ. Mick, OFS
