Irregularities and Irritations

I had intended to post more in past days, but my wife and I made a sudden trip for an extended family funeral – drove around 2000 miles and had intermittent Wifi access over the past eight days.

Life's circumstances affect all of us. Part of "the Lie" is that happiness comes from pleasant circumstances, and it is reasonable to do almost anything to avoid unpleasant circumstances. Christian Faith tells us that circumstances are not nearly as important as how we respond to them.

A particular application of this was in today's meditation in the Magnificat (a daily prayer guide):

So, when you feel as if you are about to lose your patience or say something against charity, bring yourself back to him, let go of this natural inclination in order to please him. How many acts of self-denial can be offered to him, known to him alone! Let us not waste them.... It seems to me that saints are souls who forget themselves all the time, who so lose themselves in him whom they love, without looking at self, without a glance at the creature, that they can say with Saint Paul: "It is no longer I who live, it is Jesus Christ who lives in me!" Of course we must immolate ourselves to achieve this transformation, but.... you love sacrifice because you love the crucified, isn't that so? Oh! look at him attentively, lean on him, and then bring your soul to him, tell him that you want only to love him, that you want him to do everything in you because you are too little. (Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity)

Christian Faith is following Jesus in our circumstances and trusting that what seem to be irregularities do not need to be irritations, but rather steps to self-crucifixion and holiness.