God never fails
us
By
Fr. ROY CIMAGALA,
roycimagala@gmail.com
December 19, 2020
Especially in our dark and
difficult moments, which these days are not anymore uncommon, when
we feel so miserable that we can think that we have been deserted by
God, we need to react immediately and reassure ourselves strongly
that God never fails us.
It might be a good idea to
rally the power of our faith that tells us that God takes care of
everything. There is really nothing to worry even if we are made to
suffer, since that suffering, if united to that of Christ, becomes
something purifying and redemptive not only to oneself but also to
everybody else.
It might be a good idea to
come up with the different arguments of our faith to buoy up our
drooping spirit that is weighed down by our many challenges in this
life. God is a God of mercy and compassion. He will take up all our
suffering more than us bearing them ourselves alone.
Precisely God sent the Son
to us to save us. And this Son, Jesus Christ, perfected his
redemptive work on us by assuming all our sins through his passion
and death on the cross. He conquered sin and death and gave us the
possibility of eternal life of bliss with God in heaven through his
resurrection.
The merits of this
redemptive work of Christ are made effective all throughout time
through the mechanism of the sacramental economy that is provided by
the Church.
Christ himself has told us
that while troubles would unavoidably come our way in this life, we
should not worry too much because he has overcome whatever troubles
we may have. (cfr. Jn 16,33)
And so, let us assume the
same thinking and reactions that St. Paul beautifully articulated
when we are faced with all sorts of difficulties in life. At one
time, he said, “If He (God) who did not spare his own Son but gave
him up for us all, how will he not also, along with him, freely give
us all things.” (Rom 8,32)
Earlier, St. Paul said
that “in all things, God works for the good of those who love him.”
(Rom 8,28) And the Catechism reinforces this kind of reasoning of
how good can be derived even from evil by teaching us that:
“…God in his almighty
providence can bring a good from the consequences of an evil, even a
moral evil, caused by his creatures: ‘It was not you,’ said Joseph
to his brothers, ‘who sent me here, but God…You meant evil against
me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people
should be kept alive.’
“From the greatest moral
evil ever committed—the rejection and murder of God’s only Son,
caused by the sins of all men – God, by his grace that ‘abounded all
the more,’ brought the greatest of good: the glorification of Christ
and our redemption.” (CCC 312)
So let us not over-react
when troubles come our way by allowing ourselves to fall into
lasting anger, bitterness, hatred, sadness, discouragement, etc. Let
us just be game and sport about the drama in our life.
It may be helpful to
familiarize ourselves with the story of Job who handled the test of
his faith very well in the face of the many difficulties and
misfortunes he suffered, if only to strengthen our conviction that
God never fails us. (Job 1,6-22)