‘Adversity can do you more good than a thousand joys’ (St. Bonaventure).
The most difficult lessons in the spiritual life is to take advantage of the tribulations and crosses that our Father allows to come upon us in order to draw us more deeply to Himself. A German proverb aptly says: ‘Adversity teaches us to pray.’ This statement alone can help us understand that God has allowed this or that difficulty so that we may turn to Him.
But St. Bonaventure’s phrase goes even further. Certainly, the ‘thousand joys’ he speaks of do not refer to the illicit pleasures of earthly desires, since these are never true joys. We can assume that he is referring to legitimate joys. But true adversity can open us existentially to God, for then we seek nothing else and realise that no one but He can help us. This is a very profound conclusion that should never fade away, although, unfortunately, we easily forget it when life goes on.
Now, if adversity can open our hearts to the Lord in this way, then it can do us more good on our spiritual journey than a thousand joys that do not have this effect. This does not mean that we should ask for difficulties or crosses to come our way, something perhaps reserved for some souls especially called to sacrifice. But what we must do is face the afflictions that come our way in the Lord and not let ourselves be swallowed up by them. Let us cling with faith to the certainty that God wants and can bring something good out of all this. We must simply entrust ourselves to Him without reserve.