“WHOEVER TRUSTED IN THE LORD AND WAS PUT TO SHAME?”

266th Meditation

“Whoever trusted in the Lord and was put to shame?” (Sir 2:10).

No one! We can say it with firm conviction.

If disappointments arise, the problem is on our side, because we do not understand God’s Will and perhaps we had expectations that were not fulfilled as we would have wished. Full trust in God means holding on to the certainty that, whatever happens, “God works with those who love him and turns everything to their good” (Rom 8:28), even if we do not understand and the situation remains in the dark for us.

This can be a difficult lesson to learn, especially if we are faced with great suffering, persecution and other such circumstances, from which we are not exempt. However, the certainty of our faith remains unchanging. By the very essence of our Father, it cannot but be so: whoever confidently opens his heart to Him will never be disappointed. If God allows a difficult situation to be endured, at the same time He gives the soul that trusts in Him the comfort and strength to bear the suffering, and makes it fruitful for itself and for His Kingdom.

In yesterday’s impulse, we heard that our Father cannot even withdraw from trust. Is it not the same for us human beings, who in no way want to disappoint someone who places his trust in us?

There is so much to learn from and about our Father – we will never reach the end! Each time we are allowed to understand something new, we are filled with wonder at His wisdom and goodness. Our trust opens wide the door for our Father to communicate more and more easily to us. He offers Himself to us as our divine Friend and Confidant, as He expresses it in the Message to Mother Eugenia: “You must learn to know Me better and to love Me to the extent that I desire, that is, not only as a Father, but as your Friend and Confidant”.

So, if He wants to cultivate an intimate friendship with us, could He perhaps respond to our trust in any other way than with His love?

The more we know God, the more our trust will grow. The more we trust, the deeper and more natural our love for Him will become. Love, for its part, learns to understand God from within and knows for sure that whoever trusts in the Lord will never be disappointed.