Rejoicing in Difficulties
Rejoicing in Difficulties
Holy Saturday – April 11, 2020
What does it mean to “rejoice in difficulties,” as Brother Lawrence suggests below? That may sound like good counsel in normal times – theologizing when life is more or less ordinary is much different than when we are actually in the midst of the storm! – but in days when we are forced to endure the disruption of daily routines, threats to our relationships, and uncertainty about the future, rejoicing sounds like a long-shot (thank you, coronavirus!). To be sure, it is not our first reaction to our situation.
But rejoicing takes a longer view, sees through the immediacy of the current reality, notices the nuances and opportunities that arise when times are tough, and is not limited to what the world looks like in the current moment.
Brother Lawrence says we should “rejoice in our difficulties.”
The Apostle Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, ‘Rejoice!’”
Today is Holy Saturday. It is a day of silence. On Friday, Jesus died. Saturday he lies in the tomb. His death is real, not an illusion. His followers saw his death as the end of hope, the end of all that Jesus has been and all that promised to them. They felt empty, bereft of hope, lost to faith, and clinging only to love. “Rejoice in our difficulties” may have sounded like cruel counsel to them.
But again, rejoicing takes a longer view and sees through the immediacy of the current reality. Rejoicing is not limited to what the situation looks like in the current moment.
We must, Brother Lawrence remarked, trust in God and surrender completely to Him. He will not deceive us. Never tire of doing even the smallest things for Him, because he isn’t impressed so much with the dimensions of our work as with the love in which it is done. And we should not be discouraged if we fail in the beginning. The practice would eventually cause our efforts to become a pleasurable habit that we would do without thinking.
He said that in order to be sure we were doing God’s will, we should simply develop an attitude of faith, hope, and love. We need not be concerned about anything else. It simply is not important, and should only be regarded as the means of getting to the final goal of being entirely lost in the love of God. We should desire to love Him as perfectly as we can, in this life as well as in Eternity. Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues.
Brother Lawrence added that when we begin our Christian walk, we must remember that we have been living in the world, subject to all sorts of miseries, accidents and poor dispositions from within. The Lord will cleanse and humble us in order to make us more like Christ. As we go through this cleansing process, we will grow closer to God.
Therefore, we should rejoice in our difficulties, bearing them as long as the Lord wills, because only through such trials will our faith become purified, more precious than gold (1 Pet. 1:7; 4:19).
[Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God, (Springdale, PA: Whitaker House, 1982).]
For Reflection:
o I can be honest with God about what it feels like to be “me” at this moment in time. I do not have to gloss over my life or pretty up my situation. I can be honest with God.
o I try to notice two or three things that have been life-giving in recent days. Where have I experienced life? In what ways has life been enriched since the threat of the coronavirus began?
o Today, I will set my intention to rejoice. Without judging myself on the result, I will try to be honest in my rejoicing, as best I am able.
o No one surrenders to God all at once. Each of us surrenders to God by degrees, piece by piece, bit by bit. We give to God what we are able to give today, and pray for the grace to give ourselves to God all over again tomorrow.
Holy Saturday – April 11, 2020
What does it mean to “rejoice in difficulties,” as Brother Lawrence suggests below? That may sound like good counsel in normal times – theologizing when life is more or less ordinary is much different than when we are actually in the midst of the storm! – but in days when we are forced to endure the disruption of daily routines, threats to our relationships, and uncertainty about the future, rejoicing sounds like a long-shot (thank you, coronavirus!). To be sure, it is not our first reaction to our situation.
But rejoicing takes a longer view, sees through the immediacy of the current reality, notices the nuances and opportunities that arise when times are tough, and is not limited to what the world looks like in the current moment.
Brother Lawrence says we should “rejoice in our difficulties.”
The Apostle Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord always, again I will say, ‘Rejoice!’”
Today is Holy Saturday. It is a day of silence. On Friday, Jesus died. Saturday he lies in the tomb. His death is real, not an illusion. His followers saw his death as the end of hope, the end of all that Jesus has been and all that promised to them. They felt empty, bereft of hope, lost to faith, and clinging only to love. “Rejoice in our difficulties” may have sounded like cruel counsel to them.
But again, rejoicing takes a longer view and sees through the immediacy of the current reality. Rejoicing is not limited to what the situation looks like in the current moment.
We must, Brother Lawrence remarked, trust in God and surrender completely to Him. He will not deceive us. Never tire of doing even the smallest things for Him, because he isn’t impressed so much with the dimensions of our work as with the love in which it is done. And we should not be discouraged if we fail in the beginning. The practice would eventually cause our efforts to become a pleasurable habit that we would do without thinking.
He said that in order to be sure we were doing God’s will, we should simply develop an attitude of faith, hope, and love. We need not be concerned about anything else. It simply is not important, and should only be regarded as the means of getting to the final goal of being entirely lost in the love of God. We should desire to love Him as perfectly as we can, in this life as well as in Eternity. Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues.
Brother Lawrence added that when we begin our Christian walk, we must remember that we have been living in the world, subject to all sorts of miseries, accidents and poor dispositions from within. The Lord will cleanse and humble us in order to make us more like Christ. As we go through this cleansing process, we will grow closer to God.
Therefore, we should rejoice in our difficulties, bearing them as long as the Lord wills, because only through such trials will our faith become purified, more precious than gold (1 Pet. 1:7; 4:19).
[Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God, (Springdale, PA: Whitaker House, 1982).]
For Reflection:
o I can be honest with God about what it feels like to be “me” at this moment in time. I do not have to gloss over my life or pretty up my situation. I can be honest with God.
o I try to notice two or three things that have been life-giving in recent days. Where have I experienced life? In what ways has life been enriched since the threat of the coronavirus began?
o Today, I will set my intention to rejoice. Without judging myself on the result, I will try to be honest in my rejoicing, as best I am able.
o No one surrenders to God all at once. Each of us surrenders to God by degrees, piece by piece, bit by bit. We give to God what we are able to give today, and pray for the grace to give ourselves to God all over again tomorrow.
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