238th Meditation
“We are well aware that God works with those who love him, those who have been called in accordance with his purpose, and turns everything to their good” (Rom 8:28).
What a wonderful affirmation of the Apostle Paul! It is deeply rooted in faith and spiritual experience.
If we internalise it and put it into practice, it can become our sure guide. Our Father, in the omnipotence of His love, is able to turn all things to good. Even the darkest abysses, the most entangled situations, the most impossible and desperate circumstances, our Lord is able and willing to make them bear fruit for our good. In this, He shows Himself to be our loving Father, and it is precisely His guidance in difficulties that can give rise to even greater love and gratitude in our hearts.
The important thing is to apply this certainty concretely, for it is not just a theoretical statement, but is meant to permeate our whole life. This does not mean that we should adopt an artificial optimistic attitude, which does not really take difficult situations seriously and tends to overlook them.
Rather, it is an act of faith that we must make in the adversities that come our way. This act of faith, which consists in raising our eyes to God and placing our trust in Him, directly helps us not to be swallowed up by the negativity of the situation. By remembering the Lord and His words, we are already on the way to overcoming the situation, or even have already overcome it.
St. John of the Cross advises: “In tribulation immediately draw near to God with confidence, and you will receive strength, enlightenment, and instruction”.
If we come to assimilate this certainty offered to us in St. Paul’s words, we will more and more get rid of a fearful attitude. In its place, the confidence to face life in its complexity will emerge from this simple starting point: God loves us and nothing can separate us from His love.
We only need to be attentive to always reciprocate his love and to remain in love.