“A single ‘Blessed be God!’ when things do not go our way is of more value than a thousand acts of thanksgiving when things go according to our liking.” (Saint John of Avila).
Saint John of Avila said, “A single ‘Blessed be God!’ when things do not go our way is of more value than a thousand acts of thanksgiving when things go according to our liking.”
And I have been reflecting on that advice over the last few days. You see – as with most things – whatever seems logical on this earth is an illusion and whatever seems illogical is truth…
And I have been reflecting on that. After all, what could possibly be more illogical than saying “Blessed be God!” when things are not going our way? What could it possibly mean to praise and adore a God who does NOT answer our prayers?
The old me – the me prior to my conversion, which occurred through Grace and no merit of my own – would never have given thanks to God if God did not dispense favours to me like candy from a vending machine. I would have been angry and hurt and disillusioned. And I know this would have been my reaction because I have already experienced it in this lifetime… When my little boy died before he was even born, my prayers for his safe delivery were not answered and I felt more angry with God than I have ever felt about ANYTHING in my entire life. There was no “Blessed be God!” uttered by my lips for a very very very long time afterwards… In fact, it took the Holy Spirit – God Himself – to come into my soul in an instant while I was praying for my little niece who was so sick for me to be enlightened in an instant!
And in that INSTANT I understood the words of Saint Paul in his letter to the Romans, “He does all things for the good of those who love Him.” (Romans 8:28).
I understood that during His life, Christ befriended tax collectors and sinners – people who were just like me. And the profound truth is that the generosity of Christ is such that He not only lives with such friends as those as a “friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Luke 7:34)), but He suffers and dies with them – He suffers and dies with me – as well… You see, two criminals accompanied Him on His journey to Calvary to be crucified. And when Christ died there was a sinner to His left and another to His right…
And this proves the teaching of Saint John of God, who said, “Whether you like it or not, you will grow apart from human beings. However, Christ is faithful and always with you. For Christ provides all things.”
And in appreciating that I can appreciate the truth of the words of Antonio Cardinal Bacci, who died in 1971… “By dying to our own ego and to our passions, we shall find the true life of Christ. We must die to ourselves, so that Christ may live in us, as He lived in Saint Paul. We must die to pride, so that Christian humility may live in us; we must die to anger, so that patience may live in us; we must die to lust, so that purity and innocence may live in us and, we must die to selfishness, so that charity may live in us.”
And knowing this, I have the courage to resign myself to the Holy Will of God. For it is only in resigning my own will that I shall be ready to accept the Holy Will of God, which turns all things to the GOOD. And then – and only then – I shall be able to give “A single ‘Blessed be God!’ when things do not go our way…” (Saint John of Avila).
For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.