Saturday, June 8, 2013

1 Peter 2:20

But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval (1 Pt 2:20).

MYSTERIOUS REAL SOLIDARITY

Those who belong to Christ must live to the full the whole life of Christ. One must grow to the maturity of Christ, (...) pass through Gethsemane and Golgotha. And all the suffering that may come from the outside are nothing compared to the dark night of the soul, when the divine light no longer shines and the Lord's voice is no longer heard. God is always there, but He is hidden.

The sufferings and death of Christ continue in His Mystical Body, and in each one of the members of this Body. Suffering and death are the destiny of every man. But if he is a member of the Mystical Body of Christ, his suffering and his death assume by way of the divinity of the Head an expiatory, co-redemptive. (...)

So, the one who is tied to Christ will persevere unshaken even in the dark night of the subjective distance from God and God's absence; perhaps the divine economy of salvation uses its torments to free someone who is objectively chained by sin. Therefore “voluntas tua”! Even, and precisely within the darkest night.

Edith Stein
(
La vita come totalità, Città Nuova, Roma 1990, pp. 204-205)

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An Experience of Life:

I had accumulated stress. For a while, I succeeded in not making this a burden on the family, but at some point I realized that there was tension between Elke and me and this reflected on the children. Any little problem was enough to make them quarrel and they did not accept any rule of order. In addition, I no longer had the time and calm to do the little things at home, such as preparing the dishwasher, as is my wont, or clear the table, and so on. So I could not continue.

I began to talk with an open heart with my wife, I told her everything that was weighing on me: the mistakes made, my worries, not being able, in short, everything. Together we helped each other. We remembered a phrase from the Gospel: “Cast all your anxieties on Him” (1 Peter 5:7). This particular situation remained, but it was dealt with differently; I gave the preoccupations to God and to me there remained only the occupations. With Elke we saw each other with new eyes, not looking any longer at the mistakes we made. Now in the house one can breathe; the children are always lively, but in peace.

A.P., Germany




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