Psalm 4

1: Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
2: O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.
3: But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him.
4: Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
5: Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
6: There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
7: Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.
8: I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

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"Yes and all who desire to live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (often in the form of rejection)." (2 Timothy 3:12)

"The one who lives radically devoted to Christ is certain to be attacked, and especially by those who formerly praised them the most, and by their own friends who now show themselves to be their greatest enemies because of their continual concern to please their interior Guest and to attend to His slightest suggestions, with which he instructs them and wins their souls." (Father J. Arintero)

God understands "rejection," and like "suffering," has made it an instrumental factor in spiritual transformation. It plays a significant part in the history of the salvation of humanity. It has played a significant part in the history of the Church, which has always suffered serious "rejection" by worldly wisdom. And rejection is, today, playing a significant role in the purification of the Church, separating the "wheat" from the "chaff," during the spiritual transformation of the hierarchy and the priesthood.

Whoever we are, whether we be a teenager, a single person, a married person, a priest, a religious, or an archbishop, we know that when we experience terrible rejection, Almighty God is giving us a personal, powerful, invitation to Divine Intimacy of a deeper nature than that which we now possess. Believe this when you are suffering the agony of rejection! God loves you in this moment more than you can possibly know. He loves you so much, He is allowing everything to fail you, and is giving you personal "insight" and "vision," into a powerful new direction for your life!

We're on a spiritual journey for which we were created: "Union with Him!" To get there, we must psychologically divest yourself of competing love affairs, and the complacent spirit of this world. This "divesting" has a name. It's called "Rejection!" And as the body suffers withdrawal pain when it rejects bad habits, like drugs, the spirit suffers withdrawal pain when it rejects (or loses) "spiritual possessions."

Sooner or later, at least once, everyone gets this painful "wakeup" call; it always comes as a revolution upsetting our lifestyle. At the time it may even seem cruel. Later on, we'll understand. It is calling us to a life of prayer, or to new depths of spirituality. It's calling us to the One Desire in this life that will not fail us! It is calling us to "Love the Lord Thy God with Thy whole heart, whole soul, whole mind, and whole self!"

Unfortunately, it often takes serious spiritual pain to "get our attention" and to remind us that we have "spirits" which suffer when we pretend they don't exist! And from the time we are born into this world, Almighty God allows us to experience the evil and suffering connected with life. Original Sin gave evil a major role alongside the goodness of the natural world. The evil in this world, often in the form of painful rejection, reminds us that, in spite of all the goodness and beauty in this natural life upon planet Earth, it is not our permanent home, and, though good it is, it is "not good enough" for spiritual beings created to share a "Supernatural Life of Infinite Grandeur."

The Jews suffered ongoing rejection by the Gentile peoples, thus "setting them apart," and thereby protecting their faith in the One God from contamination by pagan beliefs. In like manner, individuals are "set apart" by God for a particular purpose or vocation through the process of "rejection" by significant others. Sometimes an individual undergoes a faith "conversion," and turns radically to God as a result of past rejection by a parent, a loved one, or peers. A similar thing happens during the Dark Night of Transformation of the Soul before the Spiritual Marriage. The individual being transformed, Job-like, clings totally and radically to God because he has the psychological experience of being rejected by everyone and everything else. And St Paul tells us, in salvation history, that the temporary blindness and rejection of Jesus by the Chosen People, Israel, has become the Election of the Gentiles: "A hardening has come upon a part of Israel, until the full number of Gentiles come in, and so all Israel will be saved." (Rom. 11:25-26)

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." And as God has brought the gentiles into the House of Faith through His Mercy in Jesus Christ, so shall He finally bring the whole House of israel into the Faith through the same Glorious Mercy manifest to the world in Jesus Christ.(Matthew 23:37-39.)

"But you, Bethlehem-Ephrathah...
From you shall come forth for me
One who is to be ruler in Israel;
whose origin is of old, from ancient times.

"He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock
by the strength of the Lord,.
. And they shall remain, for now "his greatness shall reach to the ends of the Earth."
He shall be peace,(Micah 5)

What other Jew came from Bethlehem, whose origins are claimed from ancient times, whose greatness extends to the ends of the earth, today, and who is called "peace." The Jewish Messiah, obvious to the Gentiles, is "rejected" by the Jews. The mission of the Prince of Peace to the whole world, "the Blessing of My People Israel, Messiah Jesus," is mysteriously perfected through "rejection" by His own people."

Moreover, as part of the ongoing atmosphere of rejection during the dark nights, and alienation from attachments to people and the pleasures of this world, persons may suffer great bodily weaknesses, strange illnesses, and sometimes, dark emotional moods over which they have no control. And when they occasionally complain of these infirmities to those with whom they associate, they bring down criticism and accusation on their head as if these things were their own fault, due to their strange lifestyle, and failure to seek cure from psychology or medicine. And while psychology and medicine may be helpful at times during the darkness of suffering, the real battle is being waged at a much deeper level. For God's is performing radical surgery on one's spirit, by entering it and all one's faculties with Spiritual Power which brings weaknesses, disorders, and attachments to the surface where they can be recognized for what they are, and transformed by the healing waters of love. And this same Spiritual Power, which brings suffering in the dark night, brings, as described by St. John of the Cross, a special grace of "Estimative Love" wherein the soul is able to endure and benefit from the process.

And this transformative healing process alternates between suffering and joy over the years, alternating between spiritual light and the darkness of night, until it is completed, ushering in the transforming union. And at this final stage, new strength in joy is one's regular companion, and one even rejoices in the former human weaknesses and suffering which, during the darkness, made one an outcast and source of derision. For in the glorious end, they have been overcome by His grace and have become the eternal marks of one's personal humanity which shared in the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

As St John of the Cross and St Teresa observe, being still unable, until they reach the highest stage of union in which they are greatly comforted, to be both Mary and Martha at the same time, they tend, much against their own will, to be sometimes forgetful or absent-minded in their affairs, something which God allows in order that their purification might be all the greater, but which causes them to be called lazy, stupid and useless. And while the hostility of the many, their friends and associates, deeply hurts them, they realize that happiness can only be found by a stubborn decision to trust God, even in the abyss of suffering, lonliness, and darkness, a decision each one must make, and stick with, for himself. For the call of God in this life is the call to "spiritual warfare!"

CATHOLIC CATECHISM; SECTION TWO
SPIRITUAL WARFARE

405 Although it is proper to each individual, original sin does not have the character of a personal fault in any of Adam's descendants. It is a deprivation of original holiness and justice, but human nature has not been totally corrupted: it is wounded in the natural powers proper to it, subject to ignorance, suffering and the dominion of death, and inclined to sin - an inclination to evil that is called concupiscence". Baptism, by imparting the life of Christ's grace, erases original sin and turns a man back towards God, but the consequences for nature, weakened and inclined to evil, persist in man and summon him to "SPIRITUAL BATTLE."

407 The doctrine of original sin, closely connected with that of redemption by Christ, provides lucid discernment of man's situation and activity in the world. By our first parents' sin, the devil has acquired a certain domination over man, even though man remains free. Original sin entails "captivity under the power of him who thenceforth had the power of death, that is, the devil". Ignorance of the fact that man has a wounded nature inclined to evil gives rise to serious errors in the areas of education, politics, social action and morals.

408 The consequences of original sin and of all men's personal sins put the world as a whole in the sinful condition aptly described in St. John's expression, "the sin of the world". This expression can also refer to the "negative influence exerted on people by communal situations and social structures that are the fruit of men's sins."

409 This dramatic situation of "the whole world [which] is in the power of the evil one" MAKES MAN'S LIFE A BATTLE:

The whole of man's history has been the story of dour combat with the powers of evil, stretching, so our Lord tells us, from the very dawn of history until the last day. FINDING HIMSELF IN THE MIDST OF THE BATTLEFIELD MAN HAS TO STRUGGLE TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT, AND IT IS AT A GREAT COST TO HIMSELF, AND AIDED BY GOD'S GRACE, THAT HE SUCCEEDS IN ACHIEVING HIS OWN INNER INTEGRITY..

So if you're a lay or religious person, who has seriously dedicated yourself to God above all else, then you're going to find yourself in battle with the forces in your life that want to make peace with sin and a comfortable lifestyle. And these hostile forces will come at you from every direction, and from the quarter you least expect it, at one time or another. And you must get used to standing alone with God, and holding fast to "all" the commandments of the Church in the face of the fury of hell. That's what Job did. That's what David did on many occasions. And that's the example Christ gave us when all abandoned him, even the consolation of His Father, when He was most vulnerable, and when He most needed someone to support Him. At such a time, God demands heroic faith and courage because only such lonely, heroic bravery is worthy of the sanctity He has for us, and the Unspeakable Glory of His Gift of Love joining ours in the final rapture of transforming union.

Rudyard Kipling has captured a picture of the character necessary to overcome evil at just the natural level in his poem below:

IF

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken
And stoop and build 'em up with worn out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings -- nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And -- which is more -- you'll be a Man my son!

Rudyard Kipling

And in spite of the very real suffering caused by the attitudes and comments of other people, some of them formerly close friends, they find an interior comfort which assures them that they are on the right path and gives them super-human strength to continue with their search for the One Thing Necessary, the Light which will eventually illuminate the darkness. But even at the highest stages of union, there will be occasional times of relatively short duration, St Teresa warns us, when God will leave us to our natural strength, alone, and when we will suffer from the painful knowledge that there are a number of people who dislike or hate us, and have made it clear to us and to others.

Such painful episodes keep us from pride, and help keep us level-headed in our reactions to the many positive comments of the people who admire us, and in our reaction to the wonderful gifts God gives us. Therefore, the people who dislike us, or make life difficult for us, are in reality our spiritual friends. For, albeit unwittingly, they are helping us to stay on the path and grow spiritually through the practice of patience, fortitude, and overcoming love. So through the power of the Cross, even our enemies become our spiritual friends, and particpate in a providential role whereby "all things work to the good for those who love God.!" And so, in line with this, we regularly thank Almighty God for our enemies.

And, of course, in line with the commandment to "love your enemies," the people who hurt us the most are on the receiving end in our ongoing prayers and efforts to perform good works. So we return the favor, and by praying for them, become their spiritual friends. And we must keep in mind that all this mysterious spiritual drama is played out before us in cooperation with our own heroic efforts to love someone who is unloveable by our natural efforts, alone. And it is possible only because of the "supernatural power" of grace before which all manner of evil becomes grist for the mill of our sanctification. And it is the ultimate "stumbling block" which separates the radical Trinitarian Love, the fullness of the Truth of God, as in the Sacrificial Death of the Savior who died for sinners and those who crucified Him, from the half truths, and almost true, love of all other belief systems.

"They encounter opposition in everything, and even their greatest works will be interpreted in the worst way. Their silence, modesty, discipline, observance and composure will be considered strange and extravagant, melancholic, neurotic, or haughty and scornful of others; their fasting and austerity a farce, or an abuse of health; or on the other hand, their most basic requirements will be called a luxury and their ardent desire to devote themselves to prayer is censured as laziness of sloth, and a wish to waste time. At every step others are quick to point out all their past and present faults, exaggerating and disfiguring them dreadfully, when in the past they would perhaps applaud them or at least forgive them." (Fr. J. Arintero)

"Whoever really wishes to give himself to God will not be forgiven or pardoned anything by the worldly, still less by those who are lax or lukewarm in their faith; for these, seeing their own weakness, slovenliness and disorderly life condemned by the fervor, fidelity and exemplary behavior of these others, will never cease reproaching and ridiculing them all they can, telling them, among other things, that since they began to become holy or to try to pass as mystics, or as more spiritual than others, they have become much worse, setting a bad example and giving everyone much to talk about, and that if they glory in their piety and fervor, boasting of having received special graces from heaven, it is in vain, for God could scarcely give such favors to those who commit so many imperfectons and manifest faults, and seem so neglectful of their duties.(Fr. J. Arintero)

"It is an outcry," says St Teresa, "made by people with whom such a person is acquainted, and even by those with whom she is not acquainted, and who she never in her life supposed would think about her at all. 'How holy she is getting!' they exclaim, or 'she's only going to these extremes to deceive the world and make other people appear in a bad light, when really they are better Christians than she is without any of these extravagences!' Then persons whom she had thought her friends abandon her and it is they who say the worst things of all."

"Being the object of so much derision when she feels most oppressed within and most in need of some kind of comfort or alleviation, would it be at all strange if she acted a little harshly or if, like a beginner, she allowed herself to become a little impatient? Whenever she shows her human weakness and impatience, she is immediately censured by everyone, and principally by spiritual directors, and the good and devout souls she has come to depend on. And she is particularly condemned by those who lead a mediocre and negligent spiritual life, which they call the ordinary way, or the smooth and well-trodden path. Thus they never tire of branding the fervent as "strange, peculiar, odd," if not deluded, demented, bigoted, hypocritical, fanatical and other such 'compliments.'" (Fr. J. Arintero) For these critics see only the surface weaknesses of a human being; they have no spiritual sight by which they might view the action of the Holy Spirit transforming the humanity from within.

"But," observes St. Bernard, "souls ought to glory not only in their inner beauty, but also in their outer blackness itself, since they have nothing which does not work toward their greater good. The Bride quite rightly glories in the very thing that her rivals would use to insult her, boasting not only of being beautiful, but also of being dark. She is not ashamed of a darkness which she knows very well that her Spouse had Himself chosen for her sake, greatly desiring as she does to be like Him, so that for her there can be nothing as honoralbe as to share the ignominy suffered by her Savior. Hence that cry of joy and happiness(Gal.3,24)May God free me from boasting of anything save of the cross of My Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever really loves and really wants to be grateful to the Crucified Lord, cannot fail to rejoice in the ignominy of the cross."

And as St John of the Cross tells us, "He who loves is not abashed before the world because of the works he performs for God, nor even if everybody condemns them does he hide them in shame. Whoever is ashamed to confess the Son of God before men, by failing to perform His works, will discover that the Son of God, will be ashamed to confess him before the Father. The soul possessing the spirit of love glories rather in beholding that she has achieved this work in praise of her Beloved and lost all the things of this world."

"To be concerned about "what they will say" is an. attitude unworthy of a Christian. Jesus said explicitly that he would deny before his heavenly Father anyone who denies him before men (Matt. 10:33). It is therefore necessary for the Christian to take a firm stand in this matter and to follow the injunction of Christ to the letter: "He who is not with me is against me" (Matt. 12:30). And St. Paul warns that he is not a disciple of Christ who would be concerned about pleasing men (Gal. 1:10).

"One who desires to reach sanctity must be absolutely indifferent to what the world may think or say. One's only concern must be to do the will of God, cost what it may. And it is best to make this decision from the very first, so that all may know at the outset where one stands. We have been warned by Christ that the world will hate and persecute us (John 15:18-20), but if the world sees that we stand firm in our decision to follow Christ and his laws, it will ultimately leave us in peace and consider the battle lost. The best way to conquer the world is not to yield a single pace, but to take an unswerving stand in renouncing its false maxims and its vanities.(Fr Jorndan Aumann, "Spiritual Theology," part II, section 7)

"My brethren, in the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ... have not respect of persons."

"For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts?

"Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

"But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors(James 2:1)

"He who wants to win the world for Christ must have the courage to come into conflict with it," Blessed Titus Brandsma

So those who think spiritual transformation can be purchased cheaply, by the Love Children mentality, where all there is to spirituality is love, love, love, or by chanting a mantra for a few months, or by having an "enlightenment" experience, are greatly deluded. For strait is the gate and narrow the way that leads to salvation, and few there are who find it. For the true love involvoed in the process of transformation was shown to us by Jesus when He hung on the Cross, and it brings suffering and alienation from relatives, friends and acquaintances, and from one's natural life, as the New Man, of Self-Giving, gradually replaces the Old Man, who thrives in the spirit of selfishness. It is only for those who have a journey to make, and who are willing to give up a world of illusion and competitive one-upsmanship in exchange for the spiritual dynamism found in a Life of Clarity and Peace beyond understanding. It is sometimes a journey of heroic courage and self-sacrifice in which one finds oneself alone with the Alone, and far removed from one's former natural life. But beyond this, one finds Bliss and joy in living in a relationship with a Father, Who literally bears all our burdens, and Whose love and concern for us is manifested to us every day in ten-thousand ways. And throughout the day, we stop and silently pray, "Thank you, Father, for you have given me the kingdom as you promised, and you have loved me beyond my every expectation and human understanding."

Listed below are some practical recommendations by William E. Rushman helping one to cope with some of the problems one will encounter just as a committed Catholic.

TWELVE STRATEGIES TO HELP YOU COPE WITH BEING CATHOLIC

If you are active in the Church, you are going to have bad days. Here are some tips for making it until you are with the Lord in Heaven.

Big picture - One of the recent popes was asked how he could handle all the pressure of leading the Church. He said that every night he went to sleep with a final prayer: "Lord, it's your Church, I'm going to bed." It's good for us to remember that we have a small but important part to play in the life and work of the Church, whether we are the parish electrician or pastor. The Church is not really in our hands: we are in the hands of God, who has promised that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." God has the big picture, and we have to trust Him.

Perspective - It sometimes feels as if we are unique in our problems. For us, the whole world might be the parish or diocese. Elijah the prophet once felt this way, too. "I alone am left," he said to God. The LORD replied to him that there were prophets unknown to Elijah that God was keeping faithful. In the history of the Church, there has always been a vast army of faithful people that served God in humble and quiet ways. In his book, "Orthodoxy," G.K. Chesterton says that though historians usually view kings, queens and presidents as the important figures of history, God does not necessarily see it that way. The "little people" are the really important ones, for each one lives a life that is bound for glory, if they will be faithful to the end.

Prayer - We must spend time in prayer. Though we must, of course, pray for patience and perseverence, we should spend most of our time in simple companionship with God. We can contemplate God's love for us, the changes He has wrought in our lives, the history of the Church or some particular teaching of the Church for which we are thankful. In the Mass, we can be caught up in the mystery, marveling at the bread-made-flesh. As we think about the Sacrifice at Calvary, we can offer our own small sufferings in imitation of our Lord, like a small version of the Passion. Through all this, try to remain in constant prayer. Keep a running conversation going with God, in whatever way works. If you can't think of anything, pray "Lord Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner." Sometimes, fall silent, and let God comfort you.

Scripture - St. Augustine said, "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of God." It is also ignorance of the struggles of the early Church. As you read the book of Acts or some of St. Paul's letters, you can get an understanding of the politics and conflicts that plagued the infant Church. There have always been termites in the house of God, but they won't last past the end! In the Old Testament, the same kind of problems existed. Moses was challenged as leader numerous times, the prophets were afflicted by kings and false prophets, and slipping into pagan ways was always a threat. Read Scripture and see how Moses, Jeremiah and Gideon coped with their problems.

Magisterium - The teaching body of the Church is alive and active. The new catechism is well worth reading, as are the various letters from the popes (encyclicals). Some people think the recent Church teaching is OK, but it was bad before that. The papal proclamation Sublimus Dei was written in 1537, and its beauty and justice will shock you. The Magisterium has not usually been followed by the majority, but it is reassuring to know that the teaching of the Church (real teaching, not some weird idea peculiar to a small group) will always be without error. If you are frustrated with the Church over a real teaching, such as abortion or interfaith communion, and you think it should be allowed when the Magisterium says it must not, then you are wrong, and need to repent! Concentrate on Prayer and Scripture, above, and find a patient, faithful spiritual director or catechist to help you understand the teaching.

Saints, saints and laughter - There is a great song by Geoff Moore and the Distance, "Home Run." He refers to the Church Triumphant (the saints in Heaven) as previous players in the Game (baseball is a metaphor for life). He depicts them as watching us from the grandstands, chanting (doing the wave?) and cheering us on. It's a reference to St. Paul's comment, "Since we are surrounded by this great cloud of witnesses..." The saints in Heaven have been through all this before, and they are praying for us. The saints on earth are praying for us whenever they pray for the welfare of the Church. Find the saints among us, and be one, too. Find at least one day a week to spend with some holy people (not the phony kind of course). Share your struggles, your hopes, your mistakes, and listen to theirs. Find the humor in these situations whenever you can, and learn to laugh at yourself. C.S. Lewis says there is a kind of mirth only possible among the saints. Good times with our brothers and sisters is the closest we get to Heaven while still on earth.

Love - "Above all these, put on Love..." writes St. Paul. The greatest is Love. If we love with the Love of Christ, some frustrations will disappear. We will not have many of the false expectations that a lack of love allows. Thomas Merton (and many others) say we tend to see ourselves as the center of everything, and fail to see others as "real" people. Love helps us remember why we are doing what we do, and warns us when we are doing something we had better not. If we don't love the people we serve, we should change ministries. There are no jobs in the Church that don't require love.

Study - The more we know, the less we can get caught up in our own little circle of illusions. Study Church history, study Scripture, go to talks (usually offered by your diocese). Study the history of your country or state. Study the history of other countries, especially ones ignored by most people. Take an art history class. Read really good books, not the drivel that passes for literature, but works of lasting greatness that speak to the core of human experience. Watch people, and try to understand them, and see what you have in common. Above all, study yourself! "Know thyself," is good advice now, as it was for the Greeks, 2500 years ago. Know your predominant fault, and get a spiritual director to help you delve into who you are. We are often our own worst enemy, so we had better know ourselves.

Change - If the pain of our problems is too great, and our relationship with God and others is being damaged, we need to change - either ourselves or the situation. Perhaps we need to reduce our expectations to something reasonable, or maybe we just need to leave a ministry that we just can't cope with. We should not make a habit of running away from problems, but sometimes it is the right thing to do: "Those who fight and run away live to fight another day." (I don't know who said that. It is not in Scripture). If nothing else, our problems should draw us closer to God. If not, we are the problem! Look at your life: Do you have a history of running away? If so, maybe you are being called to personal change, not situational change. If you tend to keep trying, maybe you need to learn when to leave the situation and try something else. A word about obedience: If you are under a vow of obedience, all you can do (sometimes) is ask your superior for change. If your request is refused, accept it as God's will. This may apply to lay people in problem parishes. Generally, we should "bloom where we are planted." If the pastor is really a problem, we just have to do what we can, when we can. Changing parishes is rarely the right thing to do, although there are cases when it is the only way to cope.

Act!-Occasions where bold action is required are extremely rare and are very dangerous for our souls since they can lead to pride and self-righteousness. Martin Luther is one of the best examples of this, as is Peter Valdes (see Waldensians). In both cases, a holy desire to right wrongs missed the mark and caused great damage (although some good may have come from it). The most dangerous ministry in the Church is that of reformer: Avoid it if you can. However, sometimes, situations are serious enough to require action even though it may add to our stress. We can often depend on our brothers and sisters to help us, but there will be times where we will be alone in our convictions. If we are close to God through continuous prayer, obedient to Church teaching and humble enough to know our own faults and merely accepting the situation is likely to cause physical or spiritual harm to others, we may have to act. Whatever we do must be done in charity and without thoughts of revenge or judgement of others. Act according to the problem at hand, and don't attack the person(s) responsible. Motivated by love, we must strive above all for fairness and never act out of hearsay or rumour.

Remember Heaven - In the end, we will all be perfected (provided we persevere in faith) and join with our brothers and sisters in perfect union with God and each other. As we "work out [our] salvation in fear and trembling," we should keep our "eyes on the prize." All of us are destined for Heaven or Hell, and we are helping each other to one destination or the other. There is no problem now that will not be put right in the end, when Jesus returns in glory.

Humility - Conflicts often arise because of the collision of our Pride with the Pride of others. According to most traffic laws, the one responsible for a collision is the one that could reasonably avoided it. By crucifying our pride and humbling ourselves, we can avoid most conflicts. Many of the Saints known for their great preaching and teaching were known also for their humility when challenged by others less gifted. When St. Thomas Aquinas was reading to his community, his superior corrected his pronunciation of a word. Thomas re-read the word according to the superior's correction, even though it was wrong. When asked about it later, Thomas said that the correct pronunciation was less important than obedience to the superior. Thomas practiced humility. Of course, Jesus is the perfect example of humility. "He humbled himself and took the form of a slave... being obedient unto death: death on a cross!" The case could be made that Jesus did all of these. While Jesus has no peer among men, He is one person of the Trinity, and His relationship with the Father and the Holy Spirit is a model for our relationship with our brothers and sisters.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 1996, William E. Rushman, all rights reserved. Permission to copy granted, provided this notice is retained.