Moral Strength from Faith, Hope, and Charity

Alter Christus - Meditations for Priests

Two great dangers are threatening the world today: pride rebelling against God, and (nearly its opposite) moral depression and lack of trust, consequent on the weakening of faith, hope and charity. - This remark which the Holy Father made in 1940 has lost nothing of its truth since then, on the contrary. As for us priests, the first of those two dangers does not touch us, personally. But what about the second one?

OUR NEED OF STRENGTH

Has not every priest to guard against moral depression and lack of trust, lest it get a hold on his life and cripple his energies?

Is not every spiritual life exposed at times to the incur­sions of the "demon" of discouragement and pusillanimity? It may come upon us with the onslaught of temptations, hard to bear, difficult to shake off; with the apparent failure
of our efforts after virtues and perfection; with disappoint­ments in our ministry; with distressing sufferings of mind or body.

Besides, we witness so many tragedies, of individuals or whole nations; we are living in a period of dark lowering clouds throughout the world. . .

Yet we must always carry on bravely, with steady courage, undismayed by trials, untrammelled by sadness or fear. We owe it to ourselves, for our spiritual life and for our work; we owe it to our flock, who in their own troubles are so­ often sorely in need of the priest's steadying, uplifting influence.

* Let us examine ourselves and see whether we are not allowing ourselves at times to be weighed down by feelings of discouragement, . . . note the particular circumstances under which we are apt to weaken,... resolve to stand up against them.

How shall we combat effectively the danger of moral depression? By combating its cause: "the weakening of Faith, Hope and Charity" (Pius XII). For if these theological virtues are strong in us, our whole attitude will be one of great moral strength and courage, and nothing will ever prevent us from labouring on manfully, "sicut bonus miles Christi".

But for that it is necessary that faith, hope and charity should enter into our lives. We recite the acts frequently enough, probably. But perhaps they are too often mere formulas, mechanical, soulless. We must live our faith, hope and charity.

(1) Our faith must ever remind us of God's supreme dominion over the world: nothing happens but what God wills or permits; then, He is "our Father in heaven", we the children of His love; His designs upon us are always designs of mercy and love, even when we least understand them; no trials, no sufferings in our lives but are meant ultimately for our greater good as well as for God's greater glory. "Nec unus passer cadet super terram sine Patre vestro" (Matt. 10:30).

What strength and courage such thoughts of faith would give, if we remembered them vividly when tempted to lose heart!. . . Pius X was asked one day by Abbot Marmion to give him a motto for his own spiritual life; the Pope took a picture and wrote at the back of it; "In cunctis rerum angustiis, hoc cogita: Dominus est. Et Dominus erit tibi adjutor fortis."

* Do we live in that spirit?. . . Perhaps we might train ourselves to grow in it by taking for particular examen that "Dominus est" recommended by the saintly Pontiff. "O tardi corde ad credendum!"

(2) Unwavering hope and confidence must keep our hearts on high, superior to all the vicissitudes of life. If we live in the remembrance of the eternal reward which is the final, assured goal of all our efforts, and in the conviction that God's grace is always with us, equal to every task and duty, then we shall never be unmanned by trials and difficulties.

How easy to make light of these, if we feel like St Paul "quod non sunt condignae passiones hujus temporis ad futuram gloriam . . . ", and if we can repeat, with intimate conviction, his "Omnia possum in eo qui me confortat".

* But perhaps we often fail to raise ourselves to those supernatural thoughts in the actual trials of life? Or we hesitate to trust God fully, and falter in our confidence. How often perhaps we too deserved the reproach "Quare dubitasti?".

(3) Chief of all, it is charity, love for God, that gives strength indomitable and spurs on to magnanimity: "fortis ut mors dilectio ". Read St Paul to the Romans, 8:35 seq. "Quis nos separabit a charitate Christi, etc." and the Imitation of Christ, Bk II, ch. 5: "De mirabili effectu divini amoris."

Love takes away the sting from trials and adversities, because it makes us embrace whole-heartedly every mani­festation of God's holy will; it establishes us in the peace and serenity of complete self-abandonment; nay, it makes us rejoice in the Cross, because love of its very nature seeks to suffer for the beloved: "Sine dolore non vivitur in amore."

* Has divine charity such practical, logical effects in us ? . . . Is our attitude in life always an echo of our prayer "Fiat voluntas tua sicut in coelo et in terra"? . . . Does our love of God strengthen us for every trial as it did Christ for His Passion: "Ut cognoscat mundus quia diligo Patrem, surgite, eamus"?. . . Do we seek to enkindle that love (as the Holy Father bids us in his allocution) "in the flames springing from the Sacred Heart"?

** Recite with special devotion those psalms which express faith and trust and delight in God: "Dominus lux mea et salus mea: quem timebo?" (Ps. 26); "Quis praeter te mihi est in caelo? et, si tecum sum, non delectat me terra" (Ps. 72) - and so many others.
________________________
Adapted from Alter Christus, Meditations for Priests by F.X. L'Hoir, S.J. (1958)
Meditation 69.
###
Please pray for our priests and pray for vocations to the priesthood.