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us: the arm of our God. He chastises
us that we may be saved. In order to
rescue us from the evils of life, these
tribulations are sent. They are not
really evils, but rather good disguised
under the appearance of evil.
The origin of our suffering is the love
of God for us. His Love accompanies
this chalice of suffering. Shall we refuse
to drink it? Are we never going to
abandon ourselves into the Hands of
Our Lord Who, from all Eternity, has
had in His mind how to work in us all
good? The most perfect way of attaining
the love of God is to suffer for Him.
More than anything else, the Wood of
the Cross enkindles in us the fire of
Divine Love. If we wish to become
holy, we must carry our cross. This
earthly life will never die in us except
by the way of suffering. The more we
are tried, the more we will be purified,
and the more we will be disposed to
live for God alone. To suffer cheerfully
for God is the most sure proof we can
give Him that we love Him. God has
espoused us to Himself in blood, loving
us even to the extent of sacrificing His
liberty, honor, peace and very Life for us.
Now, it is we who must prove our
loyalty to Him, bearing cheerfully for
love of Him, every kind of suffering
from whatever quarter it may come,
knowing that it will always bring us
immense blessings and assure us of
success in finding Him. We never seek
God in vain when we seek Him amid
tribulations. We must be confounded at
having, until now, lived so blindly under
the slavery of our self-love, which is as
great an enemy of truth as it is of our
own selves. Let us beg of God the
strength and grace to offer ourselves
and give proof of our love for Him by
bearing all the crosses He may send us
during this short exile upon earth.
Cure my blindness, Queen of Martyrs and Mother
of Holy Hope! Thou didst love God more than all
other created beings and so it must be that, far
more than others, thou didst suffer for Him. Mother
of Compassion, we cast ourselves at thy feet; we do
not implore thee to deliver us from tribulations,
but to enlarge our hearts in the midst of them
that, in the place of the aversion we have had to
them, we may now love them. Grant us the grace that we may persevere and
not lose heart, but stand firm and fixed, even as
thou didst upon Calvary, suffering and never
ceasing to love. Truly, we do not deserve it, but so
much greater then will be the glory of thy mercy. Our confidence rests not
on any merits of ours, but on those of Our Redeemer. In these, we place
all our trust, confident that we will never be confounded!