Interior difficulties should not discourage us.
“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." St Paul's words can help us today to be filled with optimism and daring in our struggle for holiness and apostolate. St Thomas Aquinas says: ‘If we consider these sufferings in themselves, they are a far cry from the great glory which awaits us.’”
This should be our attitude in the face of adversity: Our everyday difficulties, the little pinpricks which our Lord allows, become a pledge of glory, steps along the way to Life, when they are offered up for love of God.
“Don't complain if you suffer. It is God polishing you like a prized and valued stone.
Does it hurt? Allow yourself to be cut, gratefully, because God has taken you in his hands as if you were a diamond. An ordinary pebble is not worked on like that."
No ideal becomes a reality without sacrifice. Even in purely human affairs, nothing worthwhile is ever accomplished without effort. The root of effectiveness is accepting a conscious, silent sacrifice. We see this every day in those around us. People who set themselves high goals often have to suffer to achieve them, even though they would rather avoid such suffering. But for a Christian whose goal is the love of Christ, suffering should act as a stimulus.
“From every point of view, mortification has an extraordinary importance.
Considering it humanly, anyone who does not know how to control himself will never be able to have a positive influence on others. He will be a man without energy, incapable of any great effort when required.
Consider this before God; don’t you think that we should show, with these small acts, how much we love, obey and respect the One who gave everything for us?"
Sacrifice brings joy, since it unites us to Christ on the Cross and leads us to achieve our end.
Be resolute, tenacious and persevering, and never take no for an answer.
If we keep this marvelous supernatural perspective of the love of Christ, no suffering in this life will discourage us. On the contrary, it will fill us with optimism, because it guarantees that we are fulfilling a divine mission, united to Christ on the Cross.
To find the Cross is to find Christ. And with him there is always joy, even when we are faced with injustice, misunderstanding, or physical suffering. Hence St. Josemaría’s insistence: “Optimism? Yes, always! Even when things seem to turn out badly: perhaps that is the time to break into a song of joy, because you have sought refuge in him, and nothing but good can come to you from Him."
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