Writings from St. Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor

St. Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Writings from St. Peter Damian, Bishop and Doctor

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.

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Taken from the Liturgy of the Hours, According to the Roman Rite, Ordinary Time, Catholic Book Publishing Corp.  New York, 1975