From a letter by St. Peter Damian
Let us rejoice in the joy that
follows sadness
You asked me to write to you
some words of consolation, my brother.
Embittered by so many tribulations, you are seeking some comfort for
your soul. You asked me to offer you
some soothing suggestions.
But there is no need for me to
write. Consolation is already within
your reach, if your good sense has not been dulled. My son,
come to the service of God. Stand in
justice and fear. Prepare your soul; it
is about to be tested. These words
of Scripture show that you are a son of God and, as such, should take
possession of your inheritance. What
could be clearer than this exhortation?
Where there is justice as well
as fear, adversity will surely test the spirit.
But it is not the torment of a slave.
Rather it is the discipline of a child by its parent.
Even in the midst of his many
sufferings, the holy man Job could say: Whip me, crush me, cut me in slices! And he would always add:
This at least would bring me relief, yet my persecutor does not spare
me.
But for God’s chosen ones there
is great comfort; the torment lasts but a short time. Then God bends down, cradles the fallen
figure, whispers words of consolation.
With hope in his heart, man picks himself up and walks again toward the
glory of happiness in heaven.
Craftsmen exemplify this same
practice. By hammering gold, the smith
beats out the dross. The sculptor files
metal to reveal a shining vein underneath.
The potter’s furnace puts vessels
to the test. And the fire of suffering
tests the mettle of just man. The
apostle James echoes this thought: Think it a great joy, dear brothers and
sisters, when you stumble onto the many kinds of trials and tribulations.
When men suffer pain for the
evil they have perpetuated in life, they should take some reassurance. They also know that for their good deeds
undying rewards await them in the life to come.
Therefore, my brother, scorned as you are by men, lashed as it were
by God, do not despair. Do not be
depressed. Do not let your weakness make
you impatient. Instead, let the serenity
of your spirit shine through your face.
Let the joy of your mind burst forth.
Let words of thanks break from your lips.
The way that God deals with men
can only be praised. He lashes them in
this life to shield them from the eternal lash in the next. He pins people down now; at a later time he
will raise them up. He cuts them before
healing; he throws down to raise them anew.
The Scriptures reassure us: let your understanding strengthen your
patience. In serenity look forward
to the joy that follows sadness. Hope
leads you to that joy and love enkindles your zeal. The well-prepared mind forgets the suffering
inflicted from without and glides eagerly to what it has contemplated within
itself.
The feast day of St. Peter
Damian, Bishop and Doctor is celebrated on February 21.
books.google.ca |
Taken from
the Liturgy of the Hours, According to the Roman Rite, Ordinary Time, Catholic
Book Publishing Corp. New York, 1975
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