COURAGE!
The Heart of Christ
IS WITH US.
Dear Friends of the Heart of Christ,
Anyone who has ever persevered through a reading of the autobiography of Saint Margaret Mary cannot help marveling at the abundance of troubles, dilemmas, confusion and pain which beset the rather short life of this mystic (she died at age forty-three). On the human level she was a walking disaster. People persecuted her, scorned her revelations, exhausted her with their constant inquires into her intimate spiritual experiences. On the spiritual level, her Divine Master exacted great sacrifices, challenging her to obliterate all self-love through continual mortifications. Yet her words tell us that despite all the suffering heaped upon her, she could still rejoice, still trust, still smile… still desire more! Her life was the personification of the words of Sirach: “When you come to serve the Lord, prepare yourself for trials. Be sincere of heart and steadfast, undisturbed in time of adversity. Cling to Him, forsake Him not; thus will your future be great. Accept whatever befalls you, in crushing misfortune be patient; for in fire gold is tested, and worthy men in the crucible of humiliation.” [Sirach 2: 1-6].
When I was growing up, I remember listening to the words of a very popular tune that said: “Life is just a bowl of cherries, don’t take it serious, it’s too mysterious…” The song was a carefree invitation not to worry. Who wouldn’t wish to fling life’s worries to the winds? Who wouldn’t want to be free from the oppressiveness of life’s daily toils? We all cherish our moments of “vacation,” our little escapes from reality.
Yet the finger of God beckons created humanity elsewhere. God doesn’t offer His faithful people the luxury of a lifetime “cruise into comfort.” No one who pursues God’s presence can expect holiday accommodations. Instead the journey to God’s heart is steeped in purification! God calls our souls to come close and then begins to violently twist the impurities out of us, preparing us for our specific spiritual destinies.
If we truly desire to be lovers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Margaret Mary tells us, then we must embrace our crosses… ardently! How she loved to reiterate this message to all who would listen. She could totally surrender and accept every kind of setback and every kind of misfortune because of her confident trust that God was over all and could bring good out of the worst situations. It was her spiritual perceptions which let her see that the powers of God’s love were working providentially in the world even in the midst of darkness.
Nevertheless, it takes a great amount of courage to confront the darkness that lies within and around us. When disturbances arise, our inner response is apt to give way to uncontrollable fears. Humanly speaking we feel a great distaste at how God has allowed things to evolve. How often it seems that Someone is pushing us right to the edge of the abyss! We totter on a tightrope of uncertainty whether or not to really believe in the love and goodness of the Lord. God seems to even delight in bringing us to the limit of our human resources. We often find ourselves at the crossroads of choosing the purifying road that leads to God or backing off into our own private world of self-preoccupation.
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Actually God is daring us to believe “radically” in His presence even when we see ourselves and our world falling to pieces. From the ashes of nothingness, God loves to re-create. Out of chaos and helplessness, hope springs forth from the redeeming and merciful heart of God. The silent spirit of God flourishes in faith-filled hearts. God guides the trusting ones on in unknown but secure paths, never allowing them to be led astray; all the while purifying them with each step of surrender they make.
Moreover, God’s process of purification also brings home to us our innate poverty. Without God we are poor creatures indeed, truly empty and impoverished. God touches our souls with the knowledge of this poverty so that we can see where the true treasure of our life really resides… in the heart. For the soul who earnestly embraces this poverty, a real transformation begins; things cherished, people loved, ambitions fostered, plans carefully thought out are slowly relinquished into the wiser providence of God. Now what we need, desire, and aspire to, come from the basis of a lowly heart. At this point, the Heart of Christ assumes center stage. It is this Divine Heart so meek and lowly that becomes the companion of our own souls, filling them with the spiritual riches not found on earth.
Lately I’ve been looking through some biographies about St. Therese of Lisieux, always a source of insight and inspiration to me on the spiritual journey of life. One theme that emerges in several books, highlights Therese’s developing sense of her littleness before God, of her “empty-handedness” before God’s greatness. This growing sense of smallness, however, only served to bolster Therese’s confidence that ultimately God would not count her “accumulated” merits and good works, but the love with which she offered everything to Him. Through her poverty of spirit, the riches of another world were made manifest, that is, the treasures of heaven, those of His Sacred Heart.
Coming into contact with any of the daily news that bombard us every hour of the day, we can oftentimes become perplexed about how we should respond. This can be a real source of anxiety for us. However, Saint Paul assures us that no disturbance will ever be able to separate us from the love of God, and that includes all the possibilities we know of and don’t know of. Knowing that we have already been rescued from the powers of darkness, that we have already been redeemed by the cross and resurrection of Christ gives us the courage we need to stand firm in our faith. The Heart of Christ is always with us and only awaits our willing participation in the divine plan He has for each of us. Thus our top priority is ever that of our eternal salvation and that of all humankind. Every other worthy concern and project takes second place.
As we approach the end of the liturgical year (in a few weeks time), we are going to witness dramatic reminders that the Kingdom of God is near. We will finally be told that our ultimate goal is to stand with the saints in light. But to do this it is essential that an interior purification of the spirit takes place. For each person it will be something different… for one perhaps the cross of misunderstanding, for another the burden of illness. Our lives are full of opportunities to put into practice the courage we need from the heart of courage itself – Jesus Christ. In looking to Him, our Savior, we keep our perspectives in order: His patience in suffering, His perseverance in prayer and hope, His trust in God the Father through all situations, His confidence in God’s true justice and mercy, His surrender to God’s providence, and His joy in the knowledge that God’s promises will be fulfilled.
About a week or so ago I had a memorable experience after Night Prayer. We were told about the lunar eclipse taking place that night. Being in our town’s darkened surroundings, we were hopeful of a good view of the heavens. We were not disappointed. Having access to the front of the building, I ventured out the front door, and for more than an hour gazed in wonderment at the sight taking place above me… the moon gradually fading out of existence (with the barest semblance of its outer rim still visible) and the rest of the sky in a spectacular starry state. The cosmos was pouring itself out as the star-studded constellations announced the glory of God’s creation. I was awe-struck by it all and had a sense that this show of infinity was a sign of God’s presence directing the universe… and directing me as well.
God has a plan for each of our lives… a plan that will inevitably bring with it joy and sorrow. It lies in our best spiritual interests not to turn our backs on this purifying fire, but to ask for the courage to journey through it, always with the hope that it will bring us to our final resting place in the sacred heart of God.†