433. Thirtieth Monday of Ordinary Time
Meditations no. 383 (unofficial computer-aided translation)
God is ready to heal us if we trust him.
In the Gospel of todayâs Mass, Jesus teaches in the synagogue on the Sabbath, and many are gathered round to listen. Among the crowd, in an uncomfortable posture, was a woman who had had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and could not fully straighten herself.
The woman had heard about Jesusâ miracles, and perhaps the hope of being cured had begun to stir in her heart. So she arrived early at the synagogue to find a place close to Jesus, where he would be able to see her.
My children, this woman was aware of her sickness and was ready to apply the remedy. If you, my son, my daughter, are often ill at ease, if difficulties rob you of your peace of mind, if youâve had a deeper fall than usual, recently or in the past, then turn to the divine physician. Make a deep, sincere examination of conscience to discover the root of your sickness. For the same thing that happened to this unfortunate woman can happen to you: habebat spiritum inflrmitatis (she had a spirit of infirmity). And notice her plight: erat inclinata! (she was bent over!): she couldnât look up, she couldnât see the stars shining in the heavens.
That womanâs physical infirmity can be likened to some peopleâs inability, without the help of grace, to detach their gaze from earthly possessions and contemplate divine realities. If they remain in this posture, closed off to Godâs action, they bend closer and closer towards the earth.
I know, my child, itâs quite possible none of this happens to you, though it could for one reason or another. But if this advice isnât of use to you personally, it may at least help you if this difficulty arises for other brothers or sisters of yours whom you have to enlighten with the light of ChristâŚ
I donât want any children of mine to be bent over, because they donât want to straighten themselves. Be humble. Acknowledge your mistakes. Raise your sights to heaven. Donât see things only from your personal, selfish point of view. Have faith, have hope, and be assured of Christâs love for you. And if ever the horizon seems to be blurring, and heaven and earth converge, keep your gaze on heaven. That way youâll do a lot of good on earth, by looking to heaven.
As soon as Jesus enters the synagogue, he notices that woman. He sees her hope of recovering her health, and his heart is moved. Despite the effort it costs her, she makes known her petition with an imploring expression.
I continue quoting from the Gospel, our Father said. Quam cum videret Iesus, vocavit eam ad se et ait illi: Mulier, dimissa es ab infirmitate tua. And when Jesus saw her, he called her and said to her, âWoman, you are freed from your infirmity.â And as St Luke tells us, Jesus laid his hands upon her, and immediately she was made straight, and she praised God.
Divine filiation enables us to face difficulties with optimism.
Jesusâ healing words can be applied to each of us. Imagine our Lord lovingly saying it to you. From now on, my child, you can look up to heaven. From now on, your soul will be healthy again and your life full of supernatural vigour.
If Iâve often told you this itâs because I know itâs true through my own experience. If I do something very foolish, Iâll be sincere about it right away and ask for help. And everything will be sorted out. This gives us a lot of peace and joy, and the certainty of victory. Iâll put into practice the advice Iâm given, and continue forward, because I have a vocation.
Our trust in God will never be deceived, for we are his children. No matter what happens in our lives, God remains our Father. He loves us without limit and counts on our wretchedness to help make us holy, if we struggle. Your prayer went like this: âMy wretchedness weighs me down, but it doesnât overwhelm me because I am a son of God. I want to atone, to Love⌠And,â you added, âlike St Paul, I want to turn my weaknesses to good use, convinced that our Lord will not abandon those who place their trust in him.â
Carry on like that. I assure you that - with Godâs grace - you will succeed, and you will overcome your wretchedness and your shortcomings.
We are Godâs children: nothing can give us greater security in good times and in bad. Donât be afraid of anything or anyone, our Founder stressed: nor of God who is our Father. Nolite timere eos qui occidunt corpus, animam autem non possunt occidere; donât fear those who can kill your body, who can harm you on earth, but cannot kill your soul. Divine filiation makes us secure, completely at peace. Nothing, not even our seemingly insurmountable defects, should upset us.
Be optimistic, our Father continued, see the hand of God behind every person and event: vigilemus et sobrii simus, may we be vigilant and temperate. Remember what our Lord said: Ecce ego mitto vos sicut oves in medio luporum. Estote ergo prudentes sicut serpentes et simplices sicut columbae. Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.
Our optimism stems from knowing that God is watching over us. But far from closing our eyes to reality, we are led to face the obstacles in our path squarely. We see circumstances and events in the light of faith, as they really are. Divine filiation moves us to work hard, to exercise prudence, to look for the best way to overcome difficulties. This is the attitude of the children of God in his Work: to be conscientious, responsible, striving to fulfil Godâs will in everything. At the same time, we feel secure and serene because what moves us is love for the will of our Father God.
Serenity, joy: characteristics of Godâs children.
Rest, my children, in your divine filiation. God is a Father, full of tenderness and infinite love. Often call him Father, and tell him, when you are alone with him, that you love him, that you love him greatly; that you feel the pride and strength of being his children.
Our Father wanted us to consider our divine filiation frequently every day, so that we practise the spirit of the Work well, which is a guarantee of our serenity and effectiveness. The fact that we are Godâs children should fill us with peace and calm in the midst of our struggle. It should eventually fill every corner of our lives, like water soaking into the ground.
We need to sense firmly that we are children of God, small children who seek out our Father God both in happy and in trying moments. When the sun scatters the clouds and we discover a new Mediterranean: âThank you, Lord!â And if we meet the Cross in our life: âThank you for this too!â For Christ, our elder Brother, is there, and the holy Cross makes us stronger children of our Father in heaven.
Our Founder told us several times that the precise moment in which God wanted us to feel in a very special way that we were his children took place in circumstances when the Father was undergoing serious difficulties. When God sent me those blows around the year 1931, I didnât understand⌠Then all at once in the midst of such great bitterness came those words: You are my son, you are Christ. And I could only repeat: Abba, Pater! Abba, Pater! Abba! Abba! Abba! Now I see it with new light, like a new discovery, just as one sees, after years have passed, the hand of God, of divine Wisdom, of the All-powerful. Youâve led me, Lord, to understand that to have the Cross is to find happiness, joy. And I see the reason with greater clarity than ever: to have the Cross is to be identified with Christ, to be Christ, and therefore to be a son of GodâŚ
Lord, I ask your Mother, St Joseph our Patron, and my ministerial Archangel, to pray that I and my children may always have this spirit. Ne respicias peccata mea, sed fidem (look not on my sins, but on my faith). May this faith, this light, this love for the Cross be ours till death! This divine light leads us always to understand clearly that itâs worthwhile nailing ourselves to the Cross, since it means entering into Life, drinking in the Life of Christ. The Cross: Christ is there, and you have to lose yourself in him! Then there will be no more sorrow, no more suffering. You mustnât say: Lord, I canât do any more, for Iâm so wretched⌠No! Itâs not true! On the Cross, you will be Christ, and you will sense you are a child of God. And you will exclaim: Abba, Pater! What happiness it is to find you, Lord!
Serenity, joy. For the Almighty is our Father, and Godâs Mother is also ours. There is no heart more human than that of a person overflowing with supernatural sense. Think of Holy Mary, who is full of grace, Daughter of God the Father, Mother of God the Son, Spouse of God the Holy Spirit. Her heart has room for all humanity and makes no distinction or discrimination. Every person is her son or her daughter.