Daily Thought For August 23, 2018
Nothing Is Beyond Remedy For Those Who Hope In The Lord
Souls have to be encouraged to aim very high; they have to be impelled towards Christ's ideal. Lead them to the highest goals, which should not be scaled down or made less lofty in any way. But remember that sanctity is not primarily worked out with one's own hands. Grace normally takes its time, and is not normally inclined to act with violence or irresistible force.
Encourage your holy impatience, but do not lose your patience ... Just as the farmer, with the wisdom of centuries, does not lose his patience, we must learn to aim very high in sanctity and apostolate, waiting for the right moment, without ever losing heart. We will frequently have to start again with our unmodified ambitious resolution.
We need to be able to wait and to struggle with patient perseverance, with the conviction that overcoming a defect or acquiring a virtue does not normally depend on sporadic and violent effort, but on humble constancy in the struggle, the constancy of trying time and time again, counting on God's mercy. We cannot, because of impatience, cease to be faithful to the grace we receive. That impatience, generally, has its roots in pride. We have to be patient with everyone, says Saint Francis, but first of all with ourselves.
Nothing is beyond remedy for the person who hopes in the Lord; nothing is totally lost. We always have the possibility of being forgiven, and of beginning again; humility, sincerity, repentance ... Then we begin again. We have to correspond with God, who is determined that we shall overcome all obstacles. We experience deep joy each time we begin again, and during our time on earth we will have to do that many times, because we will always have faults, deficiencies, weaknesses, sins. We must be humble and patient. God allows for our failures, but He also expects many little victories from us throughout our lives, victories that we carry off each time we are faithful to an inspiration, to a motion of the Holy Spirit.
from In Conversation with God by Francis Fernandez Volume 3 pp.149-150