 It seems that there are temptations coming from just about every side which encourage the allure of the culture. Culture has always been influential, but today we are increasingly exposed to the sway of disparate voices such that it is easy to lose perspective: they are simply everywhere. It can be overwhelming, or perhaps sobering, to think of how the evil one uses the subtle and not-so-subtle persuasion of individuals or trends to trick us into believing all sorts of things, and worse, to act upon them in ways we might not have ever considered. In the midst of so many ‘voices’ it is imperative to remember that the only voice to whom we should listen is that of God who offers Truth, steadfastness, faithfulness, and everlasting, unwavering love. We have continuous access to Him through prayer, sacraments, worship, and study of Scripture. Additionally, we have excellent models of faith and holiness in the many and diverse Saints whose works and teachings can also speak to us..  One such Saint is (Padre) Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968, feast day September 23) whose wisdom and giftedness were extraordinary. Of importance is one of his favorite sayings: “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.” Padre Pio did not mean that disappointments, or even evils, were going to vanish if we essentially pretended they were not there. Rather, with great spiritual wisdom he was reminding us that prayer and placing hope in God alleviate the need to worry. In praying we learn to follow the Spirit more closely, and therefore we obtain the peace only God can give, even in the midst of crises. Padre Pio certainly knew what he was talking about: only prayer and his relationship with God could have given him the strength to endure such great suffering bodily, spiritually, and emotionally. He had a mysterious stomach ailment his entire life, bore the stigmata for 50 years, was continually attacked (spiritually and physically) by the devil, and was wrongfully censured by his own congregation so that for a number of years he was forbidden to hear confessions or say Mass publicly. And still he could say “Pray, hope, and don’t worry!” His love for God and faithfulness in prayer fostered his ability to trust, discern, and recognize God’s presence, all of which caused him to grow in holiness. Suffering taught him great wisdom, the wisdom for which so many sought him out.  In addition to our personal cares there are other issues that might tempt us into worrying. Things like politics, our information being stolen, the economy, the degradation of moral values, materialism, lack of respect among people, and rampant self-centeredness, just to name a few, can lure us away from peace. Our response to this is critical: we can try to ignore what worries us, or slowly ‘adapt’ to living with anxiety, or we can reject obsessive participation in it by trusting the Lord to lead us on the path which actually leads to peace. Indeed we are human and will always have cares, but St. Paul teaches in Galatians 5:19-23 (and St. Ignatius elaborates on this in the Spiritual Exercises)* that anything which moves us to anxiety, lack of peace, and dissention is not of God. The enemy brings disquiet, but the Holy Spirit brings peace and truth. The key is to 'hold fast' to God so as to avoid getting so chronically caught up in our cares that we lose perspective and thus, lose sight of Him.  We are not that unique insofar as living in difficult times is concerned. Christians have always had to stay strong in the midst of adversity and God has always remained faithful to those who cling to Him. In the first century St. Paul wrote a word of caution that has rung true throughout the ages: “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2) We are not to give in to the great influences of the world, especially those which are other than God. Rather, Paul reminds us to allow the Lord to transform our hearts and souls that we may conform to His will, doing what is right as pertains to a situation or in response to worldly trends. And how do we do this? We “pray, hope, and don’t worry.” That is, we place our trust in God and allow Him to do the rest. Jesus told His followers to expect challenges and calamities during our lives, but He also promised that if we remain faithful we will have victory with Him. So even if everything seems to be out of control, God is with us, and we will be okay when all is said and done.  If evil seems to be overcoming the good, there are reasons which are beyond our knowledge as to why God allows it.** What we must do is patiently trust in His wisdom, mercy, love, and justice because there is absolutely nothing the evil one can ‘cook up’ which can take us from God. (Romans 8:31-39) Not only that, but we have tremendous spiritual power: we have many God-given spiritual gifts to utilize as weapons for protection against the enemy.*** Therefore, let’s pray … a lot… that we might come to recognize the presence of God. If we take Him at His word, trusting Him, our hope will be enlivened and we will be strengthened against worry. Together let us cling to God’s promises, claiming the victory no matter how things are at the present moment. Remember: the victory is already won.  May we follow the wisdom of St. Pio to "pray, hope, and don't worry!" May we grow through our prayer so that we are confident in the gifts we have been given! And may we be steadfast in our reliance upon the Lord! Let us meet in the Heart of Jesus! Peace!
©Michele L. Catanese (991) * In his Spiritual Exercises St. Ignatius Loyola elaborates with great precision on how to discern spirits. That is, he teaches what we need to do to avoid movement away from God and accept the movements of the Holy Spirit which lead us closer to God. In intensive detail he offers what he calls Rules for Discernment of Spirits. These are for the spiritual director to apply in directing retreatants, but St. Ignatius certainly did not intend for them to be kept secret. On the contrary, he intended the retreatant to learn how to discern so they would grow in relationship with the Lord. ** We often think God’s will only means one thing, and this is a deficient understanding. God’s will ‘operates’ in two ways. Here is the distinction: God's perfect will is God’s divine plan for your life, while God's permissive will is what He permits. God's perfect will: “The ordaining will of God is also known as the "active" will of God, i.e., God's plan for the whole of creation as well as each individual. God desires only our good and thus our human perfection. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church provides, "The ultimate purpose of creation is that God ‘who is the creator of all things may at last become ‘all in all,' thus simultaneously assuring his own glory and our beatitude.'" (CCC no. 294; cf. nos. 290-96). "The permissive will of God refers to that which God allows to happen. For example, God allows sinful behavior, even though He does not desire it. Why does God allow sin? God truly loves us and love necessarily implies freedom. God lovingly allows us to freely choose or reject His will for our lives. When man rejects God's will, he freely sins. God permits such sin, as a consequence of the freedom He gave man, but He would never ordain such sin. The Catechism addresses the issue of God's permissive will succinctly….” Entire quote from https://catholicexchange.com/gods-will/ *** Our gifts include the Theological Virtues given at Baptism, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit given at Confirmation, the Cardinal Virtues, and all of the gifts St. Paul outlines in 1 Corinthians 12; we receive specific graces from each Sacrament. Additionally we are given graces according to what we request from God, or that He freely bestows according to our need. And let us not forget that we have sacramentals, which are also weapons against the evil one, such as holy water, praying the Rosary; and last but not least, we can call upon the angels and saints for aid. Images: 1. My photo of Fresco painting; God the Father, an inset of a depiction of God with Adam and Eve in the Garden, found in a church in Puglia, Italy. 2. Icon; Padre Pio Mother Pelican, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. The pelican was an early Christian symbol of one who gives up its own blood so its children may live. A pelican will do this if it has to. St. Padre Pio accepted the stigmata from God as a form of redemptive suffering. You can find this icon at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/2-st-padre-pio-mother-pelican-047-william-hart-mcnichols.html 3. Oil painting; Landscape Under a Stormy Sky, by Vincent van Gogh (1888) 4. My photo; hiking path near a lake by Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. 5. My photo; praying before Mass in a chapel at Lourdes, France. 6. Photo; St. (Padre) Pio saying Mass. I was given this photo by a friend. It was taken by Vera Calandra at Giovanni Rotondo, Italy. Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. Comments are closed.
|
Heart Speaks to Heart
|
RSS Feed
