The Gift Of Suffering

 Thanks to a freak chain series of mechanical and weather related events, my 1pm flight home from Houston has been bumped back by about ten hours. I’m tired, hungry, and would just like to see my family. But it’s a true gift. Thank you Jesus!

We were asked to be a family representative to greet the new bishop at his installation Mass tomorrow afternoon. It’s the first time in over 100 years our diocese will ordain a bishop (he is a Monsignor). EWTN is covering it, and every priest in the diocese, including a cadre of bishops and cardinals, will be there. If my flight doesn’t get canceled, I’ll roll in around 4am (instead of 5:30pm as originally scheduled), get to work at 8, and head out early to meet my family at noon. But that’s in God’s hands at this point. Thank you Jesus!

Because of the domino effect of bumped flights and lack of airline and concession and food workers, the lines stretch forever for all food and restaurant places for those that are even open. I ate breakfast twelve hours ago, so it’s a perfect opportunity to fast for the conversion of sinners. The water fountains are working though! Thank you Jesus!

My friend let me borrow a copy of Fr Thomas Dubay’s “Happy Are You Poor,” which I had always wanted to read. And now I have both a copy and four hours to read. Lessons to learn! Thank you Jesus!

I’m writing this blog post on my phone, because I didn’t bring my laptop. I found a seat with an outlet, and the airport has free WiFi. Marvel of technology! Thank you Jesus!

St. Alphonsus writes

“We call adversities evil; actually they are good and meritorious, when we receive them as coming from God's hands: "Shall there be evil in a city which the Lord hath not done?" "Good things and evil, life and death, poverty and riches are from God." It is true, when one offends us unjustly, God does not will his sin, nor does he concur in the sinner's bad will; but God does, in a general way, concur in the material action by which such a one strikes us, robs us or does us an injury, so that God certainly wills the offense we suffer and it comes to us from his hands.

"Whatever shall befall the just man, it shall not make him sad." Indeed, what can be more satisfactory to a person than to experience the fulfillment of all his desires? This is the happy lot of the man who wills only what God wills, because everything that happens, save sin, happens through the will of God. There is a story to this effect in the "Lives of the Fathers" about a farmer whose crops were more plentiful than those of his neighbors. On being asked how this happened with such unvarying regularity, he said he was not surprised because he always had the kind of weather he wanted. He was asked to explain. He said: "It is so because I want whatever kind of weather God wants, and because I do, he gives me the harvests I want.'' If souls resigned to God's will are humiliated, says Salvian, they want to be humiliated; if they are poor, they want to be poor; in short, whatever happens is acceptable to them, hence they are truly at peace in this life. In cold and heat, in rain and wind, the soul united to God says: "I want it to be warm, to be cold, windy, to rain, because God wills it." This is the beautiful freedom of the sons of God, and it is worth vastly more than all the rank and distinction of blood and birth, more than all the kingdoms in the world. This is the abiding peace which, in the experience of the saints, "surpasseth all understanding.'' (Uniformity With God’s Will, ch 2, 3)

St Paul writes to the Philippians, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Phil 4:11-13)

Thank you Lord, for everything that comes from your hands. We are right where we need to be by your Divine Will. Who knows who you may put in our paths that we may have missed otherwise? Who knows what calamity may have been avoided on account of your delay? How are we to learn patience and mortification of the senses when we avoid the opportunities you present to practice them? “In all things give thanks.”

Thank you Jesus!