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The Life of a Saint is Never Perfect, Which is Why They Are Holy
Devotional Thought for our days:
7 But we hold this treasure in pots of earthenware, so that the immensity of the power is God’s and not our own. 8 We are subjected to every kind of hardship, but never distressed; we see no way out but we never despair; 9 we are pursued but never cut off; knocked down, but still have some life in us; 10 always we carry with us in our body the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus, too, may be visible in our body. 11 Indeed, while we are still alive, we are continually being handed over to death, for the sake of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus, too, may be visible in our mortal flesh. 12 In us, then, death is at work; in you, life. 13 But as we have the same spirit of faith as is described in scripture—I believed and therefore I spoke—we, too, believe and therefore we, too, speak, 14 realising that he who raised up the Lord Jesus will raise us up with Jesus in our turn, and bring us to himself—and you as well. 15 You see, everything is for your benefit, so that as grace spreads, so, to the glory of God, thanksgiving may also overflow among more and more people. 2 Corinthians 4:7-15 (NJB)
929 Don’t forget that we will be more convincing the more convinced we are.
As you look at paintings of saints, some are portrayed in very peaceful serene moments, a soft glow seems to be about them, even without the golden halos There are others that show them in the depth of darkness, fully engulfed in pain, fully engulfed in a battle against Satan and sin and despair.
I find great comfort in the latter type of paintings, for I know far more people engulfed in a similar battle, who benefit from knowing they aren’t the first to do battle with temptation, sin, doubt, resentment, guilt, and all the lies of Satan. For when we look at Francis or St John of the Cross or Luther or Walther or Mother Theresa battling that which oppressed them, we realize there must be hope, for we know how the story of these holy men and women ring true in the moment.
Paul is correct, in these lives lived in the valley of the shadow of death, we don’t just see the brokenness, we see the Holy Spirit comforting and sustaining them, as the victory of Christ’s death on the cross becomes more and more real.
For united to that death, we find life.
United to His suffering, we find peace.
Yesterday I had the responsibility of sharing God’s love with a family, a neighborhood of people who were devasted by the death of a young man. A man so devastated by the pains of life that it overwhelmed him and he thought peace could only be found in the arms of death.
The confidence to speak in that situation comes not from theology books, or the education I have received, but from the darkness, I’ve seen Christ deliver so many people through over the years, from the darkness I have needed to be rescued from as well. St Josemaria is so insightful in his words, I can convince people of God’s love, because i have been convinced as well.
One of the 80+-year-old ladies is responsible for our church mission statement. She said one morning in Sunday school that Concordia is the place where people find healing in Christ, while helping others heal.
It is an absolutely beautiful, brilliant and true statement about our church. It may not be fancy or measurable, it does not meet the standards of the guru’s who teach church leadership. It doesn’t hold out a goal for some future time where we will have a perfect, thriving, idyllic large church.
Chruch isn’t some kind of utopia on earth. It is a place for the broken, for the different, for those struggling with life, with shame and guilt, with resentment and hatred. It is where we find healing and hope amid our brokenness, amid the tears and the pain to deep for tears.
This is what the saints knew… this is why the paintings can show them in despair, and in glory, for both are true, in Christ.
And we are called saints just as those whose faith in God we admire! For we, like those who walked before us, are those called out, drawn to Jesus, those made holy the Holy Spirit, whose healing is being accomplished, for it is God the Father’s will.
He has heard our cry for mercy, and has answered it. May we always be convinced of this, even as we convince others of it.
AMEN!
Escriva, Josemaria. Furrow (Kindle Locations 3775-3776). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Preparing for After the Election… “O Lord What Will We Do NOW?!?”
Devotional Thought of the Day:
15 When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha. 16 “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” 17 Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!” The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire.
2 Kings 6:15-17 (NLT)
482 What does it matter if the whole world with all its power is against you? Forward! Repeat the words of the psalm: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? … Si consistant adversum me castra, non timebit cor meum—“If armies in camp should stand together against me, my heart shall not fear.”
If I were to believe everything said about each of the candidates, I would think that no matter who is the next President of the United States, we would be better off with a global flood, or perhaps that the full tribulation had come into effect.
The words of Elisha’s servant would certainly be mine, as fear and anxiety overtook me. “Lord, what are we going to do now?” How will we survive this? Every worst case scenario will flash before our eyes, as we expect America to sink in a moral crisis unheard of since.. well at least the 1960’s – and maybe all the way back to the 1890’s! (Or ancient Rome)
Some fear one winning, others fear the opponent dominating. Some and anxious because they don’t want either to win! No matter who, there will be people displeased and distraught, worried about the world changing, even fearing it ending.
What we need is the same thing the servant needed, to have our eyes opened to the reality that this world is still part of God’s kingdom. That the richness of His promise of eternity and His presence with us in this life is more than our fears.
Christ is with us.
Think about that….
No, I mean really think about it, let your heart and mind dwell in the presence of Christ here, in your presence right now. Remember the moment you communed that you shared His Body and Blood and experienced for a moment, the wonder and awe that comes when He is revealed.
This experience, this knowledge, this awareness that God is for us, is what has sustained people of God for millennia. That has enabled them to know peace in dictatorships and revolutions, in times of global war, and famine. They have known that peace even as their brothers and sisters are martyred, even as they are martyred.
It is the one constant hope we have, in a broken, hurting, rebellious world. Knowing this, we are confident not only that the world’s sin cannot separate us from God, but we are reminded that our own cannot either. Including the anxiety and doubt, we have that God is still in charge, working everything our for good for those who love Him.
And it is more than enough to sustain us at this time.
Lord, have mercy on us and help us to see you, incarnate, present, benevolent and in control. AMEN!
Escriva, Josemaria. The Way (Kindle Locations 1179-1181). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
Speak out! (about what truly matters!)
Whenever you see that the glory of God and the good of the Church demand that you should speak out, don’t remain silent. Think about it. Who would lack courage before God and in the face of eternity? There is nothing to be lost and instead so much to be gained. Why do you hold back then? (1)
One of the blessings and curses of what they call “social media” is the lowering of inhibitions when it comes to stating exactly what is on our minds. We would never whine or complain or criticize people in person the way we do on Facebook or Twitter or in our texts. Although I am starting to wonder if we are getting braver in person, because we vent and tell what we really feel in cyber-reality.
The blessing is that slowly and surely, our facades our crumbling, we are letting each other in on our humanity, on what causes our doubts, our fears, our anxieties, our pains. We are being transparent, and often what we would bottle up, we instead vent. We may not always do it well – but we do it. The way we do it, can often be a concern, and even the curse. Because social media doesn’t include body language, and it isn’t truly dialogue – communication that flows two ways, unhindered, what is said doesn’t always come through the way it was meant – and we don’t get the feedback of body language, the shock in the eyes, the fallen glance, the frown, the raised eyebrow, the collapse of the body.
As I read St. Josemaria’s words this morning, it came to mind that what we don’t see often is our words (not just the shares of the soundbytes and pictures) that are the messages we are compelled to share. The word of encouragement the word calling someone to re-focus, the things that need to be said, that bring repentance and healing and reconciliation. That lift up the downtrodden, that allow us to share in the joys and the sorrows, that encourage our dependence on God, and the peace that can only come, when we remember He is present.
Such words are necessary, even as each has its own difficulty. Such words call for confidence, not in ourselves, but in God. Such words call for the kind of focus that enabled Jesus to endure the cross, for the joy set before Him. Such words bring incredible blessing..
Such words are given to you… so speak out!
Escriva, Josemaria (2011-01-31). The Forge (Kindle Locations 1757-1760). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.
