Serenity

“For they will have turned out the way God wants them to.”  (Saint Josemaria, “Furrow”, 860).

Our Lady (Icon)

I have a very short temper.  That means that if something upsets me, I tend to get angry very quickly.  I can usually tolerate a little disruption, but then I give it a little more time, and things tend to get ugly very fast.

And what does this really mean?  Well, it means that I put myself into a situation where I can upset others, myself and God – usually over little things that I have no business upsetting myself about but things that seem so catastrophic at the time.

“Serenity. Why lose your temper if by doing so you offend God, annoy other people, upset yourself... and have to find it again in the end?” (Josemaria, “The Way”, 8).

It is easily said – do not lose your temper – and very difficult to achieve in reality.  And I have been reflecting on why.  I guess, that holding my temper is an act of discipline.  If I were disciplined, then I would be able to hold on to my temper without losing it – and especially without losing it over little things that should never really upset me.  But because I lack discipline in other areas of my life, I am unable to maintain my discipline in this area.  And I compare this to the behaviour and actions of the Blessed Virgin and Christ – Himself…  you see, both of these People were able to practice discipline in the little things as they lived their lives so that when they were confronted with the really big things – the sacrifices that really mattered, they could approach them with serenity.

For example, the Blessed Virgin practiced discipline in terms of her dealings with others and commitment to prayer and fasting and sacrifice.  That meant that when God asked her to sacrifice her virginity to His Holy Will, she could say yes – and stand firm in her promise.  That meant that when God asked her to stand at the Foot of the cross and watch Him die – she could do that and stand firm in her grief.

And the same applies to Christ.  He could practice discipline in small things and this allowed Him serenity even in extreme ones.  When He was being tested in the desert, He could be disciplined with food, and therefore disciplined with power and later disciplined with His temper...  When He was in the Garden of Gethsemane, when He submitted to the Holy Will of the Father, He could do this with serenity because He was disciplined…

“As soon as you truly abandon yourself in the Lord, you will know how to be content with whatever happens. You will not lose your peace if your undertakings do not turn out the way you hoped, even if you have put everything into them, and used all the means necessary. For they will have turned out the way God wants them to.”  (Saint Josemaria, “Furrow”, 860).

And I have been thinking about that serenity today.  For it is the fruit of discipline.  And that discipline is only a little practice away from me…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.