Interior peace is the sign of harmony between God and man and hence of adherence to his will, does not exempt us from struggle, or from war against all that is opposed to God’s will or that threatens faith or hinders us in the service of the Lord, whether the obstacles be within us—as our passions, our temptations, our sins—or in our surroundings.
The peace that comes with following Christ is the peace of a heart in communion with God and of a conscience cleansed of all self-deprecation. If we expect some other, exterior peace, like a smooth ride through life, we are in for a shock. The demands of Christ are so absolute that they will necessarily bring us into conflict with the demands of the fallen world, of other people, and even of our own sin-struck nature.
Because of this fire of love the Christian must be prepared to resist even the persons who are dearest to him, even to separating himself from them, if they impede his professing his faith or carrying out his vocation or accomplishing God’s will.
Such sorrowful separations are truly very painful crosses, but they are directed—like Jesus’ own cross—toward the salvation of these very ones who are being abandoned for the sake of his love.
The grace we receive through the sacraments nourishes our souls with Christ’s very life. He is faithful, and in him we can be faithful too.
Fill my heart so full of love for you, Lord, that I jump at every chance to show that love, thinking less and less of my comfort zone, and more and more of your Kingdom”
You came to earth for me. You left heaven behind and worked and toiled and sweat for thirty years, just so you could be close to me. And then, to make sure I would never doubt your unconditional love for me, you freely accepted the indescribable suffering of Good Friday.
Thank you, Lord. I believe in you. Jesus, I trust in you
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