Jun 10 Tue
What is Christian patience?
Writing Timothy from his prison in Rome where he will soon suffer martyrdom, the Apostle St Paul warned his disciple that “everyone who wants to live a holy life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Tim 3:12). In the same letter he points out, “I am already poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure” (2 Tim 4:6). And he adds with holy pride, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7).
Thus, St Paul warns his disciples that trials will be an ordinary occurrence in the life of a Christian. Christ himself had prepared the apostles: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33).
Despite his weaknesses and the opposition from without, a Christian enters the daily struggle full of joy, not passive or frightened; he considers himself a winner in Christ. Thus, St James bids, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops patience. Patience perfects the work of God so that you may become mature and complete, not lacking anything” (Jas 1:2-4).
When we hear about patience, we usually think of one of those situations that get on our nerves: “I really have to be patient with this person.” We think of patience as some sort of control over the irritation and anger we experience when we face people who do something wrong or inconvenient for us. In sum, we think of patience as some sort of serenity: the power of enduring trouble, suffering, and inconvenience, without complaining.
Or we might think of patience as some capacity to bear the delay of goods that do not come as fast as we would like: “I have to be patient before I save enough to buy a car.” This notion refers to the capacity to bear sacrifices for a long time until we attain a certain joy. Patience here appears as the ability to wait for results, and to deal with problems without haste.
Real patience is more than that, it is to accept God’s will and God’s ways, no matter what happens.
Patience is the virtue that enables a person to bear physical and moral sufferings, trying circumstances, and obstinate personalities without sadness of spirit or dejection of heart, but with calmness born of love of God.
There should be no trace of anxiety even in our desires to improve or to be effective: being impatient over good things is also bad. It would be wrong to lose patience because we did not immediately obtain what we wanted, or to lament when we see how slowly we progress in goodness. God knows where He is leading us, and He will let us know of our interior progress whenever and however He pleases.
Souls take time to reach holiness, and God has infinite patience with us: He forgives us, bestows his grace upon us, and constantly encourages us. We should likewise be patient with ourselves and with others, even if this may be difficult at times.
To keep calm, we need to see things in the light of eternity, as St. Josemaría recommended. “You are upset. Look, come what may in your interior life or in the world around you, never forget that the importance of events or people is very relative. Take things calmly. Let time pass. And then, as you view people and events dispassionately and from afar, you'll acquire the perspective to see each thing in its proper place and in its true proportion."
If you do this, you'll be more objective, and you'll be spared many a cause of anxiety.