TRUE PATIENCE IN SUFFERING
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
WHAT are you saying, My child? Think of My suffering and that
of the saints, and cease complaining. You have not yet resisted to the
shedding of blood. What you suffer is very little compared with the
great things they suffered who were so strongly tempted, so severely
troubled, so tried and tormented in many ways. Well may you remember,
therefore, the very painful woes of others, that you may bear your own
little ones the more easily. And if they do not seem so small to you,
examine if perhaps your impatience is not the cause of their apparent
greatness; and whether they are great or small, try to bear them all
patiently. The better you dispose yourself to suffer, the more wisely
you act and the greater is the reward promised you. Thus you will
suffer more easily if your mind and habits are diligently trained to
it.
Do not say: "I cannot bear this from such a man, nor should I
suffer things of this kind, for he has done me a great wrong. He has
accused me of many things of which I never thought. However, from
someone else I will gladly suffer as much as I think I should."
Such a thought is foolish, for it does not consider the virtue
of patience or the One Who will reward it, but rather weighs the
person and the offense committed. The man who will suffer only as much
as seems good to him, who will accept suffering only from those from
whom he is pleased to accept it, is not truly patient. For the truly
patient man does not consider from whom the suffering comes, whether
from a superior, an equal, or an inferior, whether from a good and
holy person or from a perverse and unworthy one; but no matter how
great an adversity befalls him, no matter how often it comes or from
whom it comes, he accepts it gratefully from the hand of God, and
counts it a great gain. For with God nothing that is suffered for His
sake, no matter how small, can pass without reward. Be prepared for
the fight, then, if you wish to gain the victory. Without struggle you
cannot obtain the crown of patience, and if you refuse to suffer you
are refusing the crown. But if you desire to be crowned, fight bravely
and bear up patiently. Without labor there is no rest, and without
fighting, no victory.
THE DISCIPLE
O Lord, let that which seems naturally impossible to me become
possible through Your grace. You know that I can suffer very little,
and that I am quickly discouraged when any small adversity arises. Let
the torment of tribulation suffered for Your name be pleasant and
desirable to me, since to suffer and be troubled for Your sake is very
beneficial for my soul. |
Of bearing injuries, and who shall be approved as
truly patient
"What sayest thou, My Son? Cease to complain;
consider My suffering and that of My saints. Thou hast not yet
resisted unto blood.(1) It is little which thou sufferest in
comparison with those who have suffered so many things, have been so
strongly tempted, so grievously troubled, so manywise proved and
tried. Thou oughtest therefore to call to mind the more grievous
sufferings of others that thou mightest bear thy lesser ones more
easily, and if they seem not to thee little, see that it is not thy
impatience which is the cause of this. But whether they be little or
whether they be great, study to bear them all with patience.
2. "So far as thou settest thyself to bear
patiently, so far thou dost wisely and art deserving of the more
merit; thou shalt also bear the more easily if thy mind and habit are
carefully trained hereunto. And say not 'I cannot bear these things
from such a man, nor are things of this kind to be borne by me, for he
hath done me grievous harm and imputeth to me what I had never
thought: but from another I will suffer patiently, such things as I
see I ought to suffer.' Foolish is such a thought as this, for it
considereth not the virtue of patience, nor by whom that virtue is to
be crowned, but it rather weigheth persons and offences against self.
3. "He is not truly patient who will only suffer
as far as seemeth right to himself and from whom he pleaseth. But the
truly patient man considereth not by what man he is tried, whether by
one above him, or by an equal or inferior, whether by a good and holy
man, or a perverse and unworthy; but indifferently from every
creature, whatsoever or how often soever adversity happeneth to him,
he gratefully accepteth all from the hand of God and counteth it great
gain: for with God nothing which is borne for His sake, however small,
shall lose its reward.
4. "Be thou therefore ready for the fight if thou
wilt have the victory. Without striving thou canst not win the crown
of patience; if thou wilt not suffer thou refusest to be crowned. But
if thou desirest to be crowned, strive manfully, endure patiently.
Without labour thou drawest not near to rest, nor without fighting
comest thou to victory."
5. Make possible to me, O Lord, by grace what
seemeth impossible to me by nature. Thou knowest how little I am able
to bear, and how quickly I am cast down when a like adversity riseth
up against me. Whatsoever trial of tribulation may come to me, may it
become unto me pleasing and acceptable, for to suffer and be vexed for
Thy sake is exceeding healthful to the soul. |