“It is not on the size of the army that victory in battle depends, but strength comes from Heaven.” (1 Maccabees 3:19)
In the militant Church, we are indeed a small flock that must defend itself against the attacks and assaults of evil. Is this a reason to give up? No, because the above verse from the Book of Maccabees is preceded by the following: “It is easy for many to be hemmed in by few, for in the sight of Heaven there is no difference between saving by many or by few.”
“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful” (Psalm 139:14).
Have we ever said this to our heavenly Father? Have we ever tried to look at ourselves as God looks at us and become aware of the love with which He has called us into existence? Have we thanked Him with all our hearts?
“You must eliminate the word ‘discouragement’ from your vocabulary. The more you feel your weakness, the more you must remember that one abyss calls to another (Psalm 41:8): the abyss of your misery attracts the abyss of His mercy” (Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity).
“It is better to die at this time than to obey any order that would violate the virginal chastity of truth” (St. Hilary of Poitiers).
“Let no one doubt the goodness of God, for even if their sins were as black as night, God’s mercy is stronger than our misery. But one thing is necessary: that the sinner open the door of his heart a little to the ray of God’s mercy” (Saint Faustina Kowalska).
“I don’t know if the good Lord is pleased with me, but I give myself totally to Him. Oh, how sweet it is to think of nothing at the last moment—neither one’s sins nor one’s virtues—but only of mercy!” (Words of Blessed Édouard Poppe on his deathbed.)
On one occasion, Saint Gertrude asked the Lord why He had allowed certain people to frighten her. The Lord replied: “When a father’s hand wants to reprimand a child, the rod cannot resist. Therefore, I would like my chosen ones never to blame the people through whom they are purified, but rather to see my fatherly love behind them, for I would never allow even the slightest wind to blow against them if I did not have their eternal salvation in mind. Instead, they should have compassion on those who are stained while they themselves are purified.” Read More
“Even though it may seem useless, we must not abandon prayer because of distractions or restlessness of spirit. Those who persevere throughout the time they have set aside for prayer and gently call their spirit back again and again to the object of their prayer will reap great benefits” (St. Philip Neri).
“Without inner love, all external works are useless. On the other hand, what is done out of love is great and produces abundant fruit, however insignificant and contemptible it may seem in the eyes of men. For, in God’s scales, what motivates you to act weighs much more than the action itself” (cf. Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ).
This is a key phrase for the spiritual life! Certainly, some of us have felt the desire to do great works for the Lord, and perhaps we are saddened when, despite our sincere efforts, we manage to accomplish only small works—or practically none at all—from our perspective.
“I fight within you, and I am your endurance. The torment you experience in combat I turn into gold for your benefit and for all those who need to be freed from this plague” (Inner Word).
Today’s phrase encourages us to resist, with God’s help, the various battles we face. Our heavenly Father may allow strong temptations or circumstances to come upon us that are difficult for us to understand. These struggles—and the defeats we sometimes experience—can discourage us. Yet God fights within us and is our endurance. St. Catherine of Siena heard a similar word from the Lord after suffering terrible temptations against purity. God consoled her and helped her understand that it was He Himself who had placed in her heart the repugnance for impurity. In this way, her struggles served to free others from the yoke of this plague.
