237. Eighth Wednesday of Ordinary Time
Meditations no. 108 (unofficial computer-aided translation)
The Apostlesâ lives are an invitation to optimism: we can reach sanctity.
And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, âBehold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; and they will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him.
Since the Apostles were thinking only about an earthly Messiah, they did not understand Jesusâ words. And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him, and said to him ⌠âGrant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.â But Jesus said to them, âYou do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?â And they said to him, âWe are able.â
James and John failed to grasp the full meaning of our Lordâs question. But such was their eagerness that they had no hesitation in responding affirmatively. And Jesus said to them, âThe cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.â
Possumus! We can! In that generous outburst of theirs, the sons of Zebedee showed themselves ready to drink the same cup that their Lord had to drink, and to suffer with him for the sins of all mankind. Many years were to pass, however, before this would be fulfilled in Johnâs life. The beloved disciple needed to become more humble and understanding, more supernatural in his zeal and enthusiasm.
What a difference there is between the young, impetuous, intransigent John, and the aged Apostle who repeatedly reminded his disciples at Ephesus and Patmos about the supreme command of charity! Divine grace and suffering had combined to purify his youthful ambition. His eagerness had become more serene, more understanding and charitable. As a young man he had once said: Master, we saw a man who was not one of our followers casting out devils in your name, and we forbade him. Years later, in his first Letter, he would say: I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the expiation for our sins.
We should feel encouraged at the sight of the many weaknesses and defects of the Apostles. Like them, we tend to be very human in our outlook; like them, we can be selfish and lukewarm; and like them, we also need to be corrected and purified. Our Father says: When we experience any weakness in ourselves or in others, we shouldnât be surprised. Let us remember all those who, in spite of their undeniable failings, persevered and carried the word of God to all nations and became saints, and let us resolve to keep on fighting. What counts is our perseverance.
Possumus! By relying on Godâs power, we can overcome all our weaknesses.
Along the road of our life, which is a journey of love, we are often confronted with the stark reality of our weakness. The path to God is not a succession of effortless steps, nor is it ordinarily a straight line of uniform progress. To scale a mountain, a straight line is not usually the best route. In the interior life, God often prefers to lead souls along winding paths - trails that lead up and down, and at times even seem to go backwards, although in reality they are taking us nearer the summit. So we shouldnât be surprised to find, with the passing years, that defects we thought we had overcome start cropping up again, or that there are new fronts to fight on.
Our Father puts us on our guard: I am already old, and I still have many failings; so you have the right to have a few failings as well. What matters is that we struggle to overcome them. At times itâs good for us to notice them. If we didnât, we would become proud, and pride separates us from God. But if we face up to them, we will have no other recourse than to be humble. If your faults make you more humble, they are a road to sanctity. Felix culpa (O happy fault!), the Church says, referring to original sin. In a Christianâs life, everything must be for God, even personal weaknesses; our Lord understands them.
We can always surmount our weaknesses, because God himself is fighting at our side. He only asks us to be courageous and determined, never being satisfied with what we have achieved, and going to him again and again, confidently. My children, with John and James, let us say, possumus! Omnia possum in eo qui me confortat. I can do all things in him who strengthens me. Be full of confidence, because he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. If we cooperate, we will win, since we are assured of Godâs strength: quia tu es, Deus, fortitudo mea (for thou art the God in whom I take refuge).
This reliance on Godâs strength gives us confidence, and the certainty that we will achieve our goal of holiness. Our Father never grew tired of telling us: My child, you and I are sure of victory. For we are not alone. Vae soli! (woe to him who is alone), the Holy Spirit says in Scripture. We have our Directorsâ affection, which is the charity of Christ; we have Godâs abundant grace; and we have a herald in our Guardian Angel.
And so we go forward, with more affection, with more joy, more confidence, and more strength - the strength God gives us. We should never lose heart, but rather start anew, again and again, always relying on Godâs might. Do you see, my children? Itâs not pride to tell God: With your powerful help, today I am going to try to be more punctual in that act of piety, in the fulfilment of those Norms. I am going to try to pray the Holy Rosary with greater devotion, and be more affectionate and attentive to the othersâŚ
This is what we learn from the life of the Apostle John. He burst out with that impetuous response to Jesusâ question - possumus! But later on, once he had come to understand Jesusâ words in all their depth, he spent his whole life serving God. By the grace of God, the great love that burned within his heart became more ardent and more supernatural.
If we rest on Christâs heart, as St John did at the Last Supper, there will be no weakness that can make us waver. Thank you, Lord, because along with temptation you also give us the beauty and strength of your grace to make us victorious! Thank you, Lord, for the temptations you send us in order to make us humble.
A âsuperiority complexâ in the apostolate.
God has a special right over us who are his children: the right that we should respond to his love in spite of our personal faults. This conviction, while imposing on us a responsibility that we cannot shirk, also gives us complete assurance. We are instruments in Godâs hands, and he relies on us every day. Every day we must strive to accomplish his Work.
Nor will we lack Godâs help in our apostolate. We have all the necessary means, as well as a divine promise of effectiveness. To our personal weakness God adds a superhuman, supernatural strength which is infinitely superior to all earthly power. You should have a âsuperiority complexâ, our Father used to say, because God has given you an intellect, the means, and a vocation. You must always react as did St Paul: Omnia possum in eo qui me confortat! (I can do all things in him who strengthens me. ) You must bring Christ to other souls. Alone you cannot do it! But you have a vocation to the Work and the supernatural means. Therefore you can always say: Omnia possum in eo qui me confortat. With grace I can do everything!
This âsuperiority complexâ makes us supernaturally daring in apostolate. We know that the world is good, since it has come from Godâs hands. We know, too, that all honest professions can and should be sanctified. And the people you do apostolate with have the necessary prerequisites - if you are supernatural yourselves - to receive a vocation to Opus Dei. My children, none of you has the right to say, âI canât do apostolate; I canât win new apostles.â
Our apostolic activity cannot be held back or halted by the thought of how enormous our mission is, or the realization of how little we are worth, or the obstacles that await us along the way. Our apostolate is not based on purely human possibilities. On the contrary, it is our life of faith, the bonus odor Christi, the aroma of Christ, that will attract the souls God which has placed at our side. As St Paul wrote: When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words of wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
Omnia possum in eo qui me confortat. With him there is no possibility of failure. That is why we have a âsuperiority complexâ and undertake our tasks with a spirit of victory. For God gives us his strength. The superiority complex our Father expects of us in our apostolic action stems from deep personal humility, from knowing that our effectiveness comes from God and not ourselves. Our effectiveness is not based on any human wisdom. We preach only what we have received from God. We overcome our tendency to personal comfort, in order to make Christâs interests our own. Mary, our Mother: teach us to be unyielding in everything that is not ours, because it belongs to God; and at the same time to be ready to give way in everything that is purely personal.