Be at Peace

Be at Peace
by St. Francis de Sales

Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life;
Rather, look to them with full hope that as they arise, God,
Whose very own you are,
Will lead you safely through all things;
And when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in his arms.
Do not fear what may happen tomorrow;
The same understanding Father who cares for you today
Will take care of you then and every day.
He will either shield you from suffering
Or will give you unfailing strength to bear it.
Be at peace, and put aside all
Anxious thoughts and imaginations

Happy pick up the cross day

Jesus said to his disciples, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised." Then he said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself? Luke 9:22-25


So happy pick up your cross day. Thats right there is no other way to follow Him but to pick up our daily crosses and follow him.  If not we might gain the whole world but lose our soul.


Dear Lord I pray that I have the fortitude to pick up my cross daily and follow you.  Amen.


Here Toby Mac and others tell us the same thing.

From the Inside Out

Well here it is the beginning of another lent.  I have posted the music from Hillside United called From the Inside Out.  It is exactly what I need this lent to work from the inside out.  Not only spiritually but also physically.  So here is to a great lent from the inside out.

Holiest object presented to our senses

“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which,if you say it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilites, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all of our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations – these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat.

But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit–immortal horrors or everlasting splendours. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play.

But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously–no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner – no mere tolerance, or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment.

Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.” -C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory: And Other Addresses

Follow don't lead

Jesus said.."Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the Gospel will save it.
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?"  Mark 8:34

One day Mother Teresa saw one of her sisters headed out into the streets with a long face. She called her over and said, “What did Jesus say, to carry the cross in front of Him or to follow Him?” The sister responded, smiling, “To follow Him.” Mother then asked, “Why are you trying to go ahead of Him?”

Pretty much says it all, you do not have to be the "sufferer" for all of us, just pick up your cross and follow.  Jesus will lead.  Does make you think there are some of us who like to be professional sufferers.  Always things couldn't be worse.  It is always bad in their lives and doesn't ever get better.  This type of person is leading instead of following.

Grace for our Hard Hearts

"All our life is sown with tiny thorns that produce in our hearts a thousand involuntary movements of hatred, envy, fear, impatience, a thousand little fleeting disappointments, a thousand slight worries, a thousand disturbances that momentarily alter our peace of soul.  For example, a word escapes that should not have been spoken.  Or someone utters another that offends us.  A child inconveniences you.  A bore stops you.  You don't like the weather.  Your work is not going according to plan.  Apiece of furniture is broken.  A dress is torn.

I know that these are not occasions for practicing very heroic virtue.  But they would definitely be enough to acquire it if we really wished to."  St. Claude LA Colombiere

Thought it was appropriate to add this after yesterdays blog on hard hearts.  I think St. Claude had it correct there are a thousand ways we can become hard hearted.  It is up to us with the Grace of God to be virtuous in these situations.  It is up to us say yes to his voice and "harden not our hearts."

Hardened Hearts

"Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?"  Mark 8:

Isn't it so easy for our hearts to get hardened in this life we live.  I remember in my youth when I decided I was putting up a wall and very few if any were going to get in.  That's a hardened heart. When we allow sin to cloud our judgement or take over our conscience.  That is a hardened heart.  When we pass by those who have less and are suffering.  That is a hardened heart.  When we think the answer to immigration is send them back where they came from.  That is a hardened heart.  When we think that poor people just don't work hard enough.  That is a hardened heart.  When we look at a race of people and generalize them as lazy or thieves.  That is a hardened heart.

In every one of the above situations I can see our Lord reaching to us to be his hands to others and we give to others a hardened heart.

"If today you hear his voice harden not your hearts"  Heb 3:15

Lord I pray that today you open my heart, take the scales off.

I think my friend Jesse Manibusan says it best in his song below "Open my eyes".

Someone else's suffering

The last few of my posts except one have been about enduring suffering but what about when you notice someone else's suffering.  Yesterday my sister-in-law suffered a stroke she was rushed three hours to have emergency surgery in Pittsburgh.  Many are lifting their hearts and prayers for her and her family.  What is your reaction to others suffering?

In reading the book "Consoling the Heart of Jesus"  the author discusses our reaction to others who are suffering.  Of course we could do nothing, thinking of no-one but ourselves.  We all know people like this they see people hurting everyday and are indifferent or just  their hearts have been so hardened.  While others have a compassionate heart to those who are suffering.  Jesus told the mystic Saint Faustina this:

I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor: - by deed, the second - by word, the third - by prayer.  In theses three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me.  By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy.


If your not sure what to do in deed, word or prayer go to the Holy Spirit and ask.  You will find the strength to go into action through the Spirit.  Remember to if at all possible do something compassionate.  Most people will not be able to listen to our words while suffering, they won't be able to hear our prayers but they will be able to see our deeds.

One example of this is found in the Gospels where Jesus is mobbed while in a home and friends carry a sick man and dig a hole in the roof to lower him to Jesus to heal.  The healing is amazing of course but think of the deed of those friends when they carried him and lowered him through the roof.  They represented Jesus even before the man met Jesus themselves.

This came true for me a little over three years ago when I was in a Pittsburgh hospital, three hours from home, recovering from a Whipple surgery. Six of my friends from my mens prayer group showed up on Wednesday the day we usually met and came to visit me and pray with me.  Now that is deed.  They brought me face to face with Jesus.

Same Sex Marriage and the Church

Had this recently sent to me and thought it excellent.

Same Sex Marriage and the Church

True compassion, true sensitivity, true love, true happiness

By Fr. Thomas J. Loya, STB., MA. Tabor Life Institute   www. taborlife.org

“If they are not doing any harm to someone else, why would the Church be against two people of the same gender being married?”

Establishing some things up front first

Before looking at this question itself let’s establish some things right up front. The Church, and Almighty God, wants everyone to be happy in this life and forever in the next life.  The Church is all about true compassion, true sensitivity, true love and true happiness. The Church will never embrace counterfeit forms of these virtues even under pain of persecution and death. This is because the Church loves people too deeply to ever betray them with anything less than true compassion, true sensitivity, true love and true happiness.  In doing so the Church is manifesting God’s sensitivity, compassion and love which Jesus Christ modeled for us on the Cross. True sensitivity, true compassion, true love and true happiness are a function of two things: fidelity to truth itself and accepting the reality of the Cross. If the truth is diluted or obscured in any way, then there is be no true compassion, sensitivity, love and happiness.  There is only agenda and self-interest.

True sensitivity, true compassion, true love and true happiness will ultimately in some way involve embracing the Cross and Resurrection. This will always involve continual choices in varying degrees to die to self and rise to our true and best selves. It will always involve putting others and the good of the community above our own feelings, desires and self-centeredness no matter how strongly we feel these desires

When Jesus Christ hung on the Cross the people going by said that they would believe in him if only Jesus would get rid of the Cross. Yet, the Cross was the one thing that Jesus Christ would NOT take out of the equation because He knew that the Cross was our only ticket to true and ever lasting happiness and He loved us too much to take it out of the equation. The Church is the same way. People criticize and hate the Church not so much because of its “teachings” on these moral hot button issues like same sex attraction, but because the Catholic Church (included here also are the Orthodox Churches) is the only entity on earth that will not dilute the Cross or take the Cross out of the equation for the same reason that Jesus Christ would not—true sensitivity, true compassion, true love, true happiness. Jesus was persecuted for this and so will the Church be also.  The Church is the conscience of the world and let’s face it, who really likes their conscience?  Our conscience bugs us, so we try to ignore or silence it.

The prerequisite of undying fidelity to truth yet of dying to ourselves frightens us because we think that our own legitimate needs will go unmet.  But it is precisely in dying to self that we find our true selves and have our legitimate needs met to the degree that it is possible on this side of eternity.  Having established the truth about the Church, let’s now look at the question itself.

The question itself

First, the question itself is flawed. It reflects three things that are characteristic of our culture and which underlie so many of our problems and difficulty in moral discernment: compartmentalization, disintegration and radical privacy. The question itself also reflects the moral relativism of our times. 

There is no such thing as someone doing something in the “privacy of their own home” and not affecting others. There is no such thing as a “private sin.” The human race by nature is communal. We are integrated. It is like the links on a chain.  Do harm to one link and the entire chain is affected. As a society we seem to have some understanding of this. For example, it is illegal to use heroin or cocaine even in the “privacy of our own home.” It is illegal to commit suicide or to take a prostitute into the “privacy of our own home.” In fact our culture seems to be heading toward making it illegal for someone to smoke in the “privacy of their own home.” Our society knows that abusing drugs is harmful to someone and doing harm to ourselves will affect others because we are communal beings. An individual who becomes an addict in the “privacy of their own home” becomes a burden on society because drug abuse leads to broken marriages, broken families, abuse, poverty and crime. This in turn stresses our social infrastructures which in turn can inspire raising taxes. We could go on and on and all of this is because someone was doing something in the “privacy of their own home” thinking they were “not hurting anyone else.”

Secondly the question itself is flawed and in fact the entire discussion on same sex marriage is flawed because “marriage” between people of the same gender is simply not possible. It does not and cannot exist. So, why are we, as a supposedly sophisticated society, considering legislation about something that cannot exist!?  We look like absolute fools!

Words mean things and they point to concrete realities. We cannot attach just any word to any reality we want. This is part of that moral relativism we mentioned earlier: In moral relativism life and morality have no absolutes.  Life and morality are just anything that we want them to be, anything that we label them to be.  What matters is what we feel about them and not what the reality is in itself. When we do this we set up a dishonesty, an illusion and delusion which in turn hurts the individuals involved and, as we said earlier, the whole community.  Chasing an illusion can only lead to a simmering frustration beneath a façade of happiness. 

The fact of the matter is among the population that practices a so called “gay lifestyle” there are higher percentages of things like depression, abuse, suicide, HIV, AIDS and colon cancer than among the rest of the population.

Although some like to deny these realities they are nonetheless true.  Since, as we said at the beginning, the Church and God want us to be happy, the Church will not support an illusion, a delusion or an untruth that the Church knows will not ultimately bring about true happiness but instead will lead to this simmering frustration and unfulfillment.

The word “marriage” itself has within its own construct the concepts of motherhood and gender (Matrimony=”matri=mother.) Furthermore, the word “marriage” has a French root which implies manhood or fatherhood.)  If there are not two complimentary genders, then it cannot be “marriage.” Just because we call something by a name does not make it so. Marriage is not just “two people who love each other coming together.”  Marriage is being used today in the same sex agenda to legitimize attractions between people which are in fact not based in true sexuality even though that is how they are presented. 

If it does not involve people of complementary genders, it cannot be “sexual” in the true sense. It becomes counterfeit, an illusion and therefore ultimately harmful.  The mutual stimulation of sexual organs leading to mutual orgasm is simply just that. It cannot be “having sex” in the true sense of the word because it does not involve persons of complementary genders. Same sex activity involves bodies and the stimulation of body parts. But it is impossible for people of the same gender to come together sexually in the way that is unique to a female wife and a male husband.  A husband and wife come together in an integrated way—as total persons through their bodies—faithfully, freely, fully and fruitfully. When this happens between a real husband and wife something happens between the two of them that is mutually beneficial to their entire persons, not just to certain body parts.

The same sex behavior is compartmentalized, disintegrated and therefore can never, ever, be “sex” or “marriage” in the true sense of the word.  Yes, of course two people of the same gender are putting their bodies or some body parts together in what they erroneously call “sex.”  But the truth of the matter is that they are not and cannot actually have “sex.” Once again, the actual meaning of words becomes critical: “Sex” requires bodies that are complimentary and our bodies are a package deal—they include our whole person along with them.  So, if the bodies cannot truly come together in what we call “sex”, then the persons cannot either.  And sex is not just about genital stimulation and orgasm. It is about two persons becoming a union and communion of persons and in this way reflecting the very interior life of the Holy Trinity and sharing in the way that Christ the Bridegroom loved and united Himself with His Bride.  

As you can see, it is impossible to contain within sound bites the answer to why the Church does not approve of so-called same sex marriage. There is so much foundation, so much education and reconfiguring of our thinking and ethos that has to take place for people to understand where the Church is coming from on this issue and on all moral issues. However, the following bullet point type of answers can be helpful. Note that what two people of the same gender do actually does profoundly harm other people, and in fact the whole of society.

1. Redefining marriage to mean something other than what is exclusively between a male husband and a female wife means that anything can be called “marriage:” incest, polygamy, bestiality, pedophilia, blow up dolls, or whatever! 

2. Civil unions lead to so called same-sex “marriage.” In the state of Massachusetts, for example, where same-sex marriage was legalized, students are being exposed to instructions on the same sex agenda, pornography and illicit sexual acts. A judge even ruled that schools do not have to give parents the opportunity to pull their children from such exposure simply because same-sex “marriage” is now legal in Massachusetts.

3. Same sex “marriages” deny a child a real male father and a real female mother.

4.   Same-sex civil unions and “marriages” are not civil rights issues. They are 

      not the same as the struggle for racial equality.

5. Same sex “marriage” do not create families which contributes to the good of society. Rather they create a naturally sterile union.

6. Since same sex civil unions and marriages in Massachusetts were legalized the HIV and AIDS disease rates have gone up considerably.

7. Children will witness same sex partners kiss and fondle in restaurants and public places to test and reinforce that establishment’s “marriage equality.”

8.   Wedding halls, caterers, photographers, etc. will have to do same-sex   

      civil “marriages” or be arrested for discrimination.

8. Catholic Charities has had to stop its foster care and adoption work for children because this Catholic organization would be forced to turn children over to co-habitating and same sex couples.  This goes against Catholic conscience.

9. Either the cost for social security, health and life insurance, etc. will skyrocket or the benefits will decrease dramatically in order to payout to everyone’s definition of a “spouse” or partner even if it is fraudulent.

10.   If pastors and priests refer to same sex “marriage” as morally wrong according to the very order of creation made by God and written in the Bible, they will be charged with hate crimes.

All of this may still leave a person with the emotionally laden question of, “But if these two people of the same gender really, really, love each other and they can’t be married, where can they find their happiness? After all, men and women can get married to each other and be happy. Why can’t “gay” people also be allowed to be happy too?”

The attraction that a person has for the same gender does not grow out of the same source as the attraction a man has for a woman that leads to marriage.

The attraction between people of the same gender has more to do with unmet developmental needs and/or hurts.  It is not love. Love is not about “needing” or even just about attraction. Love is about an act of a person’s will to choose to do or to not do whatever is best for the other person regardless of the cost to themselves. If it is not this, then it is not really love, but rather, “need.”

However, two people of the same gender can love each other and they can even live together. They can enjoy what between them mutually works toward their becoming the best version of themselves, in other words, what leads to their holiness and salvation.  But this love and benefit from each other cannot be nor should it labeled or attempted to be lived out as the same love and complementary experience as that which can only take place between a male husband and female wife, i.e. “sexual” in the fullest sense of the word.

Beneath it all, every human is searching for intimacy because this is an experience of God and God made us in His image and likeness. This means we are made for intimacy.  But we are made for a true intimacy which can only be achieved by living in concert with God’s order of creation.  The Church is the only entity on earth that does not attach labels to people such as “gay” or “homosexual.” This is because labeling can never be sensitive, compassionate or loving and the Church is all about true sensitivity, true compassion, true love and true happiness. The Church prefers the word, “person” and teaches that the only adequate response to persons is love, respect and responsibility.  This is because the word “person” finds its definition in God.  There we go again with the all critical meaning of words and the concepts to which they point!

In the beautiful mind of the Church, there are only “persons.”  And some “persons,” through no fault of their own, have developed what they believe to be a sexual attraction to the same gender. But the Church knows better about what is really going on here and how to help that person negotiate through the often frightening, arduous but liberating journey of truth and honesty.  It is the Church and she alone who stands perpetually ready to accompany any person through that journey and the Church will do so every step of the way. 

Interesting

Today while walking the halls of this hospital I found this posted on one of the bulletin boards.  I do find most of their bulletin boards to be enlightening.  This board makes me to believe someone else needs the enlightening.  The quote "In life, pain is inevitable but suffering is not."  Wow.  Wonder where they got this quote.  I guess this is what our society teaches today that we do not have to suffer.  Wonder how you tell that to the lady I met today who's husband they just found 4th stage pancreatic cancer.  They have two boys who are 5 and 7.  So these boys and the wife won't suffer watching their loved one die?  Just because you "control" his pain the suffering is going away.  What about his emotional suffering and the fact it is so hard to even pray while under the influence of these drugs or the pain involved.  No, it is apparent the person who coined this phrase did not understand the human condition.  There are so many more examples I could use like those who will be hungry tonight when they go to bed, or the parents of kids ho will go to bed hungry.  What of the homeless who have no place to stay?  Of course just because they have suffering in their lives doesn't mean there isn't joy.  Joy that comes from not being tied down to material things, or the Joy that only our Lord can provide.  The quote should read "In life, pain and suffering are inevitable but lack of Joy is not.

So my nurses this first shift today are Mike and Andrew.  I have the blessing of having to nurses today because Mike is training Andrew who is in his last week of RN school here at the hospital.  Mike is an excellent nurse very kind and compassionate.  Couple of weeks ago when I was here he had my roommate as his patient and Mike was very good with a difficult patient.  Andrew, I just met today but seems to be doing a good job with his training and his compassion toward patients.  During the night last night I had Margaret as my nurse.  It is often hard to evaluate the third shift person as we the patients are trying to sleep.  I do find that she is a lovely lady who is trying to be a good nurse.

I have to confess I feel bad for my poor judgement during the middle of the night.  About 3 AM I heard this woman in the next room yelling for something.  I tried to determine from my bed if she needed help or was just confused.  I went with just confused and found out later that she actually had lost her call button and was trying to get someones attention.  I still feel bad as I write this.

Remember "If today you hear my voice harden not your hearts."  Should have used that with the lady during the night.

Hmmm Another Chance to Suffer

Since I last wrote I am now admitted into Shadyside hospital in Pittsburgh.  Apparently my pancreas and other organs that were operated on 3 years ago still do not like me for that.  So today I offer up my blessings or as some call them sufferings to our Lord for His use.  If it is His will may he use them for the retreat my daughter Brittany is on this coming weekend.

Since I am here I will tell you a little about the place.  I am on the 4th floor main section of the hospital in room 416.  416 is a single room so my wife slept on the recliner besides me.  Not so much because she was worried about me (although she does worry) more because it saved getting a hotel room, which cuts down on some of our expenses.  She will be going back to St. Marys today until the weekend.  Hopefully I will be ready to go home by then.  Room 416 has a view of some homes and a parking garage for the workers in the hospital.  As I look out the window it is flurrying today in Pittsburgh.

My nurse today is Rachel.  Rachel is from Minnesota originally and received her education and training at St. Marys University in South Bend.  She did recognize my friend Meghan Larson name, as Meghan also went to St. Marys.  Rachel noticed that I was making a twine rosary and commented on it so I gave her one of my purple rosaries that I had completed and blessed.  I make those in purple because purple is the official color of pancreatic cancer.  The rosary she saw me working on is actually white with a gold stripe.  These I am making for the girls of the first communion class.  The boys will be receiving a black one with a grey stripe.

My aide today is Stacie.  Stacie is fairly new at being an aide but seems to be more than capable.  She completed her training on the last day of my last visit here two weeks ago.  Stacie's fiances family is from Dubois only 30 miles from our hometown of St. Marys, PA.

Grace and Mercy

A few things have happened recently that all kind of go together.  Recently was in the hospital for another eight days for acute onset of  pancreatitis.  Ever since my whipple surgery my pancreas doesn't like me at times and I get to spend some time in one of my two favorite hospitals.  The other events include I am reading a book and prayer book (still)  Consoling the Heart of Jesus and I received a call from a friend who is suffering greatly from pain in her leg where they have replaced a knee a few months ago.  My friend asked me whether I get discouraged.  I am blessed to say that I don't get discouraged and than had to reflect on why I don't get discouraged.

I truly believe that it is a great gift I have been given by our Lord to be able to take the pain and to be able to offer that pain back to Him for the whatever use He desires.  I would think that you saw pain as a curse and not a blessing that it would completely change how you look at it.  I am also blessed not to be in constant pain even if I have pain almost every day.  My friend has pain every time she tries to walk which is a whole different animal.  I did of course encourage her to take her pain to the foot of the cross and offer it up to Jesus.  He above all knows what pain is like both physically and emotionally.  That is where the book comes in, the author encourages us to console our Lord while on the cross.  To be with Him to offer our pains and sufferings for His and for the all those who need Grace and Mercy that can only be found through His death and Resurrection.  Of course it was his Divine Mercy that was given to all of us at the cross.  

I am going to quote the book here as I could not do a better job.  

"In his great goodness and mercy, Jesus allows us to participate in his redeeming action in the world.  In fact, he needs us.  In a very real sense, he needs our suffering to be united with his in order to save souls.  We can begin to understand this mystery if we reflect on some puzzling words of St. Paul:  "I rejoice in my sufferings for you sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in the suffering of Christ for the sake of his bod, the Church.." (Col 1:24).  How can St. Paul write that there's something "lacking" in the suffering of Christ?  Jesus suffering is objectively enough to save everyone, and the graces his suffering merits are available to all.  In this sense, there's absolutely nothing lacking in his suffering.  Yet there's a kind of lack in Christ's suffering in the sense that not everyone subjectively accepts his grace and mercy.  Moreover, there's also a lack of in his suffering when people don't fully accept is grace and mercy, that is, when they do so halfheartedly and with reservations and conditions.  It's precisely in such situations where people reject or don't fully accept God's grace that our sufferings and bold prays can come to "complete what is lacking." "

We have to put our trust in Jesus.  As for our sufferings I will the saints speak.  

“Pain and suffering have come into your life, but remember pain, sorrow, suffering are but the kiss of Jesus - a sign that you have come so close to Him that He can kiss you.” 
― Mother Teresa

Jesus said to me; "How many times would you have abandoned Me, my son, if I had not crucified you.  Beneath the cross, one learns love, and I do not give this to everyone, but only to those souls who are dearest to Me."  St. Padre Pio

"The soul is destined to reign with Jesus Christ in eternal glory, must be remodeled by the blows of hammer and chisel... The Heavenly Physician is treating you as one chosen to follow Jesus closely up the Hill of Calvary... St. Padre Pio"

St. Paul on Suffering and Encouragement

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement, who encourages us in our every affliction, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any affliction with the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God. 

For as Christ’s sufferings overflow to us, so through Christ does our encouragement also overflow.  If we are afflicted, it is for your encouragement and salvation; if we are encouraged, it is for your encouragement, which enables you to endure the same sufferings that we suffer.  Our hope for you is firm, for we know that as you share in the sufferings, you also share in the encouragement.

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction that came to us in the province of Asia; we were utterly weighed down beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life.  Indeed, we had accepted within ourselves the sentence of death, that we might trust not in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.He rescued us from such great danger of death, and he will continue to rescue us; in him we have put our hope [that] he will also rescue us again as you help us with prayer, so that thanks may be given by many on our behalf for the gift granted us through the prayers of many.  2Corinthians 3-11

Love and suffering from our Savior

Padre Pio, Secrets of a Soul: "When Jesus wants me to understand that He loves me, He allows me to savor the wounds, the thorns, the agonies of His passion...When He wants to delight me, He fills my heart with that spirit which is all fire; He speaks to me of His delights. But when He wants to be delighted, He speaks to me of His sorrows, He invites me -- with a voice full of both supplication and authority -- to affix my body [to the cross] in order to alleviate His suffering. Who can resist Him? I realize how much my miseries have caused Him to suffer, how much I have offended Him. I desire no other than Jesus alone, I want nothing more than His pains (because this is what Jesus wishes). Let me say--since no one can hear me--I am disposed to remain forever deprived of the sweetness Jesus allows me to feel. I am ready to suffer Jesus hiding His beautiful eyes from me, so long as He does not hide His love from me, because then I would die. But I do not feel I can be deprived of suffering--for this I lack strength. [...] Perhaps I have not yet expressed myself clearly with regards to the secret of this suffering. Jesus, the Man of Sorrows, wants all Christians to imitate Him; He has offered this chalice to me yet again, and I have accepted it. That is why He does not spare me. My humble sufferings are worth nothing, but Jesus delights in them because He loved [suffering] on earth...Now shouldn't this alone be enough to humiliate me, to make me seek to be hidden from the eyes of men, since I was made worthy of suffering with Jesus and as Jesus? Ah, my father! I feel too keenly my ingratitude toward God's majesty."