A number of years ago I read an inspiring reflection by Sr Hildegard Ryan OSB. It has stayed with me over the years because it gave me a sense of hope in the midst of suffering. She makes it clear that we are first called to evangelise ourselves and continue the process on a daily basis. In this daily commitment we begin to know who we truly are, our faith is strengthen and we glimpse a ray of hope. I would like to share it with you.
Praying Lectio Divina is… It is about the evangelization of the “self”, and pins me down to be who I am: A Christian who prays with the Word of God, and responds to the call of the Word of God in my everyday life.
My response is to something that has been taught to many of us, but which is not true. We have been told too often that God sends suffering, and it is the will of God that one suffers, sometimes in excruciating agony. God does not send suffering. Suffering and sickness are part of the human condition. And when we cannot change the sickness or the suffering, God gives us the grace to accept it. Depending
on our response to sickness and suffering, we can become bitter and twisted, or we can enter into the process of purification and reach for the light. We know very well the words: “You are what you eat.” If we feed our hearts on the Word of God and the Bread of Life, then when suffering and sickness strike us down, we will have the strength and courage to go through it, while holding on to the hand of Jesus.
Recently when Fr. Michael Casey (Cistercian Monk and Author), gave a week of Conferences to our community, he noted at the very beginning of the week that the will of God for humankind is spelt out clearly in 1 Timothy 2:4 and 1Thessalonians 4:3. The will of God is one’s sanctification, and my sanctification is the part I play in the salvation of the universe. The will of God for me is my self-realisation, removing all the ego-centric “stuff” to get to the reality of my being. When suffering and sickness enter my life, the way I respond to these realities makes me who I am.
I am finding more and more the need to hold on to the faith which was gifted to me at my Baptism. Faith is something I need to grasp hold of every single day and in so many situations which can trouble me, or unsettle me. I need to remind myself of the words of Tagore…
“faith is the bird that sings while the dawn is still dark.”
- by Virginia Ryan
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