Faithful Souls

     “The life of faith is nothing less than the continued pursuit of God through all that disguises, destroys and, so to say, annihilates Him. It is in very truth a reproduction of the life of Mary who, from the Stable to the Cross, remained unalterably united to that God whom all the world misunderstood, abandoned, and persecuted. In like manner faithful souls endure a constant succession of trials. God hides beneath veils of darkness and illusive appearance which make His will difficult to recognize; but in spite of every obstacle these souls follow Him and love Him even to the death of the Cross.”                                                                                                                                                                        Fr. Jean-Pierre de Caussade


     Pursuing God, when hardships and tragedies strike our lives, would be impossible without the tremendous amount of grace that God lavishes upon us. While we might feel anger or blame God for our circumstance, He is readily available to help. How tragic it is, that we often abandon Him in our greatest time of need. We see Him as the cause, and not the Curator of the situation. He is the God of love, yet stays silent, even if we shake our fist at Him.


     Hidden beneath veils of darkness, He patiently waits as He joins in our suffering. Faithful souls learn to recognize this and see Him as a loving God, walking at their side. These souls do suffer, but His love is the strength which sustains them in their pain.
  
     When Mary said her “yes” to God, she had no idea what that would entail. But her relationship with God was such, that she was able to abandon herself completely, trusting in His goodness and love for her. Nevertheless, this did not negate the suffering that Mary experienced. Although she was sinless and full of grace, she was human, just like us.

      Simeon’s words to Mary must have pierced her heart, as she looked at her Baby Son, the Savior of the World, knowing He would be rejected by many. The fright she must have felt, when she and St. Joseph fled for the life of their Son, and made their way to a foreign land, hoping He would be safe. What fearful thoughts passed through Mary’s mind, when she realized Jesus was missing. With a heart full of grief and dread, she searched for him frantically, till He was found in the Temple, on the third day. And then of course, when His “time had come,” and she watched as He was betrayed, beaten, spit upon, scoured, crowned with thorns, mocked, and then crucified.

     He was then taken down from the cross and placed in her arms. What pain and sorrow she must have experienced. Her sweet and innocent Jesus, who came for love of us, was rejected and killed. To believe that our Lady was spared suffering is ludicrous! Her suffering was intense, but her faith and trust in God remained strong. Her relationship with God solid: built on a lifetime foundation of truth and grace.  

     Throughout her life she grew in faith as each event presented itself, and clung close to God. She spent much time with God in prayer and pondered the mysteries that she did not quite yet grasp. She lived her life one step at a time, not running ahead to the unknown future, but staying in the present moment where God’s grace is given. Her faith was strong and steady, as she remained steadfast from the Stable to the Cross.

     We are called to imitate our Mother Mary, the perfect disciple, in her life of faith. When God hides beneath the veils of darkness and illusive appearances of hardships, trials, and tragedies, remain united with Him. He is asking us to believe in His love and goodness, when the world tells us differently. We must stay on the path that leads to Calvary, when everything within us wants to run in the other direction. Let’s be faithful to our Jesus, and not abandon Him like so many have done.

     The goal of our faith is the salvation of our souls, as we honor and glorify God, in joy and through sorrows. God will use the very fabric of our lives, to lead us on the path to be with Him one day in heaven. From the Cross, Jesus has given us His Mother, to assist us on our journey. She will never abandon us and will obtain from her Son, every grace that we need to stand strong in our faith. We must run to her when troubled and confused by life’s events, expecting help from heaven.

     Let us follow the example of Mary, by spending time with God in prayer, immersing ourselves in His Holy Word, and clinging to Him both in good times and bad. May we grow in our love and faith in God that whatever occurs in our lives, we remain united to Him in trust.    

     Father de Caussade, please pray that we may become faithful souls!