"To him that overcometh will I give to sit with me on my throne, even as I overcame, and am set down with my Father in His Throne." - Revelation. 3:21

God speaks to us in Scripture of the reality of spiritual warfare and the testing of our faith. Each of us following the Way of Christ will be tested to see if we have the courage to "overcome" when we are spiritually exhausted and our natural strength is totally depleted. At such a time, we will look for the Father's help and he will seem to be unconcerned with our plight. Despairing of our natural strength, we will call out with Jesus, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" And in this our time of greatest need, God's answer to our prayer will be a resounding silence!

And in our abandonment, and despairing of our natural ability to deal with the situation, we nonetheless hang on to our faith and hope, and join our Savior on the Cross, and experience the depth of his love and courage to which we are also being called in the mystery of true overcoming. And in this trial of fire we will learn that God's ways are far above our ways, and that we must hope in him when our natural spiritual supports have failed us, and there is no hope left anywhere in those places where we always found comfort before. And in the process we gain a spiritual maturity, built on new respect and reverence for God, and the realization that the mystery of his ways and being are far beyond what we thought we knew and understood. St Paul underwent such a trial by fire which he reveals to the Corinthians:

"For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life."

"But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead!"

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Courage is essential if we are to continue in Prayer:

Our Faith teaches that God answers all our prayers and petitions? Luke’s Gospel says:

“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”(Luke ll, 9-10)

Then we may ask, why do some of our prayers seem to go unanswered. And why do we make a Novena, or go on a pilgrimages as part of our prayer petition, if all we need to do is ask and we shall immediately get the response we desire from God. For an explanation, we may turn to St John of the Cross who explains: “Not all needs and petitions reach the point at which God, in hearing, grants them. They must wait until in his eyes they arrive at the suitable time, season, and number, and then it is said that he sees and hears them.

Spiritual Canticle, Stanza 2, para. 4.” It is noteworthy that even though God has knowledge and understanding of all, and even sees the very thoughts of the soul, as Moses asserts [Dt. 31:21], it is said when he provides a remedy for us in our needs that he sees them, and when he answers our prayers that he hears them. Not all needs and petitions reach the point at which God, in hearing, grants them. They must wait until in his eyes they arrive at the suitable time, season, and number, and then it is said that he sees and hears them.1 This is evident in Exodus. After the 400 years in which the children of Israel had been afflicted by their slavery in Egypt, God declared to Moses: I have seen the affliction of my people and have come down to free them [Ex. 3:7-8], even though he had always seen it. (St John of the Cross)

Daniel J. Harrington, S.J., has this to say about Jesus’ teaching on prayer:

“”The parable of the friend at midnight encourages persistence and even shamelessness in bringing our petitions to God (11:5-10). It gives us permission to bother or pester God with our requests. “

“The short parable that follows about the good gifts that a father wants to give (“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”—11:13) is a further reminder that God wants very much to answer our prayers and to give us the Holy Spirit as the best gift of all.

“The parable of the widow and the unjust judge suggests that if an unjust judge will finally give in to the repeated requests of a widow—the most powerless and defenseless member of ancient Jewish society—will not God answer the requests of those who persist in prayer? Jesus assures us, “I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them” (18:8).

"In a certain city there was a judge, who neither feared God, nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, 'Grant me justice against my opponent.' For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, 'Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.' " (Luke 18:2-5)

So we must humbly persist in our prayer, even though we don’t see the hoped-for remedy, confident that it will most certainly come when God sees that the time is right. .

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“Every soul should know that even though God does not answer its prayer immediately, he will not on that account fail to answer it at the opportune time if it does not become discouraged and give up its prayer.”(Spiritual Canticle, Stanza 2)

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Courage is a necessary ingredient in the character of any Christian because following Jesus always takes us into a new, and sometimes fearful, dimension of "spiritual warfare," where supernatural power intersects with the ordinary dimension of our natural lives. And the reality of the intersection of these two dimensions is sometimes shattering to our comfortable peace of mind, and can be a terrifying experience as we are shocked into the discovery that both evil and the supernatural are "overwhelmingly real!"

And courage is such an important part of the day to day struggle of the Contemplative Spiritual Life because the Contemplative is one who has been "uprooted" from religious complacency and placed centerstage in the life-long battle between good and evil. For the contemplative is one who has "been chosen" by God to evince the same mind and virtues that characterize Jesus Christ. It is therefore highly necessary for the would-be contemplative to practice and exercise the natural virtues, such as "fortitude," and "patience," so as not to fall by the wayside in the very real onslaught of spiritual warfare. God will supply the motivation and power for the supernatural aspect of these virtues. However, if one is physically and mentally out-of-shape in the natural order, one will be more fearful, and suffer much more than one should from the supernatural demands of the contemplative life. So don't be afraid to consult your doctor about beginning a physical exercise program, swimming, a weight training program, or a martial arts program, to improve the natural courage which undergirds the natural foundation of the spiritual life.

However, it is always wise to remember that we are not meant to find our courage in our own strength in the spiritual life. David did not conquer Goliath because he was the best man in Israel with the sling. No, he went up against Goliath with nothing but a sling because he trusted in the Lord. He was filled with the power of God, and the sling was merely one of many possible instruments through which God's will could be effected.

Psalms, psalm 27

1: The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2: When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
3: Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.
4: One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.
5: For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.
6: And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.
7: Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.
8: When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.
9: Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.
10: When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.
11: Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.
12: Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.
13: I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
14: Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD

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Did Christ use the power of the hosts of angels to attack his enemies when they set about crucifying him? No, through the fullness of Trinitarian Love, He remained weak and vulnerable in his human dimension as they beat, humiliated, and eventually killed Him. And it is not through conquest, but rather it is through "suffering accepted" that each of us, in imitation of Christ, becomes a vessel of God's Power and Holy Love, which brings forth "strength from weakness," and "Life from death." This Love, manifest to the world thorugh Jesus Christ, overcomes the misery and despair by which principalities and powers, through human slaves in bondage to sin, organize and purvey evil, suffering, and death throughout the world.

"During our lifetime we always run the unhappy risk of throwing off our Lord’s yoke, no matter how light it may be, and resisting His grace. This misfortune is the more to be feared when our will pretends to be its own master instead of abandoning itself to divine Providence; for the perfection of the will consists in placing itself in God’s hands, in making use of its own proper activity only to become more dependent on Him, in being always docile to grace. Let us offer our liberty to Jesus through Mary and try never to take it back again; in this holy slavery we find deliverance and a most sure road to heaven." ( Fr. Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P."The Love of God & Cross of Jesus," 11, p. 346)

So spiritual warfare against the world, the flesh, and the devil provides the venues for the heroic, overcoming quality of God's Eternal Love. For this God that we love is an "Overcoming God," who calms the storm, heals the sick, casts out devils who tremble before Him, slays Goliath, converts a disbelieving world and the very enemies of the Church. He is a Consuming Fire before Whom all the elements of the Universe dissolve. And this Divine Quality of "overcoming" courage is required of us if we are to "endure" the slings and arrows of our daily struggle with challenges, upsetting circumstances, and some of the hostile people who will engage us on the road. And in addition to this, we must, as St Teresa warned us, continue on the course when our very nature is beset by fear and intimidation by others, and cries out for peace, "peace at any price."

For there may be times when others verbally attack and insult us, or we are publicly humiliated...and we want revenge, but, instead, we must carry that cross if we are to share in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Then there may be times when others abuse us emotionally, or bully us, or use their authority to intimidate us, and, we must, as St Paul said, "overcome evil with good," and carry that cross, too. We must join Our Good Companion in "the Agony in the Garden," and we must join Him before Pilate in His emotional humiliation, and finally we must share in the physical pain of His crucifixtion and death. For as Jesus warned us, "In the world of fallen human beings, along with the good, you will always have persecution and affliction. Then He added, "But be not dismayed, for I have overcome the world."

For as St. Paul has reminded us, we are fully engaged in "spiritual warfare" against the spirit of the world, the flesh, and the devil in this life, if we are living up to our spiritual calling to seek God above all else, with single-minded determination. So if the world hates you, and you are suffering humiliation because you belong to a Church, or a priesthood, currently in the limelight due to runaway scandals, rejoice and be glad for the humiliation, even though you must pray for the innocent victims, and stand against the weakness in the system that allows such sins. "Praise God that you are privileged to share in the same ignominy by which Our Blessed Lord Redeemed the human race." Rejoice that you have been wounded, as Our Savior was wounded, in the Battle of Salvation. Rejoice that you know how he felt when he was abandoned by Peter and eveyone else while the good people all around were spitting on him, and slapping him, and hating him.

"Martyrs are in the highest degree masters of themselves. They exercise the principal act of courage, which consists, "not in attacking," but in "enduring." They do not yield to persecutors, but pray for them."(Father Garrigou-LaGrange,O.P., "Life Everlasting")

Let us all rejoice when we are privileged, perhaps for the first time, to really learn what the transforming power of the Cross is all about. For it is only right that the disciple should not be above the Master! "Exercise overcoming courage by praising God for the very thing which you hate most about yourself, some some physically intimidating idividual, hurtful memories, or the circumstances of your life:"

" The soul enamored of the Divine Lamb enjoys the greatest delights precisely where she encounters the purest suffering. The cross of Christ, considered scandalous by the Jews and foolish by the gentiles, this is the fountain of delights for the soul who has been enraptured in the mystical wine-cellars of the Spouse!"(Father John Arintero, O.P.)

God allowed this terrible thing for your good, now matter what it seems like to your natural reason. He has called "you" to a special heroic kind of sanctity because He knows, with His help, you are capable of it! Demonstrate heroic trust and faith, like David, and thank God for this event or situation: "Pick up three smooth stones for your sling and start walking toward Goliath!" Do it regularly in all the circumstances of your past, present, and future. For that's the radical kind of faith, the radical kind of courageous, overcoming love to which we are called in Imitation of Christ! That's the kind of love you see in the lives of the saints! In the words of St Francis, "Where there is hatred, let me sow love!"

What is required of us as Christians in spiritual warfare is that which is required of any combatant in any battle: "the courage of single-minded, stubborn determination to stand firm, and continue the spiritual struggle. Courage and humility are blood brothers. For we trust in God, not in ourselves. We must put on "the mind of Christ," a courageous, winning, overcoming, spirit. We must focus on the objective, not looking back once we have put our hand to the plow and, instead of undermining our resolve by playing the blame game, we must, like St Paul, press on to the objective:

Half a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
"Forward, the Light Brigade!
"Charge for the guns!" he said:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Someone had blunder'd:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.

Flash'd all their sabres bare,
Flash'd as they turn'd in air,
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder'd:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro' the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel'd from the sabre stroke
Shatter'd and sunder'd.
Then they rode back, but not
Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley'd and thunder'd;
Storm'd at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro' the jaws of Death
Back from the mouth of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wondered.
Honor the charge they made,
Honor the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

So we are shocked to find that many in the world don't like us. Do we really find that so strange? The world that loves you at Breakfast can just as easily hate you by Dinnertime. If Christ be for us, let the whole world be against us! What other way has there been from the very beginning?... Or perhaps we have been kidding ourselves, and thought it was ok to be a lukewarm Christian and no one would notice! Remember that Christ warned that spiritual sins committed in the dark will eventually be revealed from the housetops!

St Teresa advised that the virtue most needed by the Contemplative as he advances in prayer is the virtue of "courage." For the spiritual life brings one into a very real battle with hostile forces of principalities and powers, whose kingdoms and rule are threatened by the Holy Spirit working through us. And at the present time, in many parts of the world, there is a call for heroic courage as many bishops and priests are being slandered, the fruit of a general state of lukewarmness within the Church, and the criminal behavior of a few who have taken the vows of Holy Orders. And the malevolent spirits are exacerbating the situation in order to defeat the mission of the Holy Spirit, and the courage of the faithful. Innocent Priests, bishops, and Christians are being persecuted, and are suffering in a dark night of malevolence, which God will use to purifiy the Church and the Faith.

In the face of these very painful realities, courage is obviously a necessary quality of spirit which refuses to run from the terrible reality of this battle, and remains engaged in the spiritual struggle, whatever the obstacles, to the very end. Another way to say it, courage is the spiritual quality of "endurance" necessary for the daily task of "Carrying the Cross." For accepting the Cross, and the suffering that comes to us in this life, means exercising "courage" in our lives." And there are times in our lives, like the present time, in which nothing less than "heroic courage," will enable us to stay the course. And that quality of heroic courage ultimately comes from God, Himself, a grace available to us through our prayer life.

Looking at the meaning of courage in the next paragraph gives us a better understanding of how necessary it is for true spirituality, and how it cuts across all aspects of what is required of a Christian Contemplative:

"Courage" is defined in Merriam-Webster's Dictionary: mettle, spirit, resolution, tenacity-mental or moral strength to resist opposition, danger, or hardship. "Courage" implies firmness of mind and will in the face of danger or extreme difficulty . "Mettle" suggests an ingrained capacity for meeting strain or difficulty with fortitude and resilience . "Spirit" also suggests a quality of temperament enabling one to hold one's own or keep up one's morale when opposed or threatened . "Resolution" stresses firm determination to achieve one's ends. "Tenacity" adds to "resolution" implications of stubborn persistence and unwillingness to admit defeat .(Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

Now when the saints tell us that there is no Christian spiritual life worthy of the name without the exercise of "courage" in carrying the Cross as the centerpiece, the elements in the above definition help us to understand what they mean. Consider what St. John of the Cross says:

"The Cross is the staff whereby one may reach him, and whereby the road is greatly lightened and made easy. Wherefore our Lord said through St. Matthew: My yoke is easy and my burden is light, which burden is the Cross. For if a man resolve to submit himself to carrying his cross—that is to say if he resolve to desire in truth to meet trials and to bear them in all things for God’s sake, he will find in them great relief and sweetness wherewith he may travel on this road, detached from all things and desiring nothing." (St John of the Cross, "The Ascent of Mount Carmel")

And unfortunately, those modern and postmodern Christian spiritual seekers, who are interested in a quick fix through "instant contemplation," and who only talk about the warm feelings, lights, and esoteric knowledge connected with their "spirituality," or which mansion they have achieved through contemplative prayer, have totally missed the boat when it comes to authentic spirituality. For true spirituality, besides all of the enrichment, joy and wonder, includes struggle, warfare, courage, and resolving to meet trials and bear them all for God's sake. For the bedrock support of Christianity and contemplative prayer is found in "accepting the Cross," which is always an act of courage, and realizing that there is no comfortable compromise in the spiritual warfare of true spirituality, and that we must "die" to our lives in this world if we are to live to life eternal. "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." (Mark 8:34-35) And this spiritual death is very real and very painful, at times. And we will only survive the battle if we resolve to exercise courage and do what is required of us, single-mindedly refusing to be overcome by the opposition of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

And we shouldn't be misled by those claiming that the business of "the Cross" is just a pre-Vatican II relic, and part of the spirituality of "darkness" or "negativity" of the traditionalists or those who follow St. John of the Cross. Think about the life of any of the saints and the Crosses they suffered at different points in their lives. Think about the courage they showed in the face of the spiritual battle. There's nothing pre-Vatican II about the disasters that happen to every human being who walks the planet. When you and your family are physically threatened because you are Christians, that is the Cross. When you lose your job, or there are no jobs, that is the Cross. If your mate abandons you, that is the Cross. When someone you dearly love is taken from you, that is the Cross. When you find that there are "terrorists" who hate you because of your citizenship, that is the Cross. When an accident or disease physically disables you, that is the Cross. When you are dependent on others for survival, that is the Cross. When friends betray you, that is the Cross. When you fail, and are seen as a failure by others, that is the Cross. When you do the right thing, and suffer by speaking up against tyranny and in defense of others, that is the Cross. When others physically threaten you, or mentally intimidate you, and you persevere in the face of those threats, and in your single-minded service to God, that is the Cross. And in all of these instances, "courage" is the quality of spirit that "masters the fear," and refuses surrender to the forces of darkness.

But you may ask, "Where is God in all of this?" Doesn't He bear our burdens and make the crooked ways strait? Doesn't our strength come from Him thorough prayer? Don't we now know, with our modern understanding of the God of Mercy, that He will give us all the courage we need to get through the trials that we face in life? Isn't His "burden easy and His yoke light? Why is our own courage so important if He makes everything easy?

The answer lies in the example above, where the disciples were terrified when they saw Jesus walk on water. For two levels of courage always come into play in the contemplative life and in spiritual warfare. One level involves the supernatural as, in the example above, the external event was more than a match for natural courage, and Jesus said, "Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!" At that moment, He, Who is God, spoke the words of courage, and the supernatural virtue was simultaneously infused into the disciples, giving them the strength they needed to cope with the situation.

The other level involves our own participation as we exercise the virtue of natural courage in following Christ, and in trusting in His continued help, and in "believing in the darkness what we have seen in the light." For the intersection of these two courages, natural and supernatural, produces a Samson tearing down the pillars of the temple of Dagon, produces a David standing against the fear engendered by the giant Goliath, and in our own time, produces a Pope, getting on in years, traveling the globe with the problems of the world on his shoulders, and personally suffering from debilitating physical effects caused by illness and the malice of man, all the while uplifiting others as he proclaims far and wide, for all to hear, "Be not afraid! Fear not!" For such is the power and the quality of courage, "Heroic Courage!"

For it is "our" participation, that gives us our own special spiritual character, and makes us joint heirs with Jesus, in His Goodness and Joy, as well as with the Courage by which He overcame the suffering caused by the World, the Flesh, and the Devil and established an Eternal Kingdom for us. If we exercise our courage and resolve to meet trials and to bear them in all things for God’s sake, God will take our natural courage and imbue it with Jesus' own supernatural courage, and "move mountains." And in all our trials, we will find great strength and power, wherewith we may carry the Cross, and travel on this road. And while we will have to endure some pain and suffering, the "heavy lifting" will be always be done by Almighty God. Nevertheless, our input of courage is required, just as Jesus' natural virtues were called into play, alongside His Divinity, in His life on earth. For we are not inert objects created to stand on the sidelines while somebody else lives our life for us. We are human beings with the capacity of "freedom," given to us so we might function as loving individuals in our own right, and make choices to stand against the enemies of love. And we have the power to exercise "courage" as free human beings, and "participators" in the supernatural life of grace, and joint-heirs with Christ, carrying our Cross, overcoming evil, and helping to establish the Kingdom of God on Earth.

And when our natural courage is overwhelmed by the gravity and magnitude of the suffering that descends upon us, be assured that God is intervening in our life in a special way, and that He wants us to find our Courage through a new, intimate relationship with Him. We have heard it said that He never allows us to suffer more than we can bear. And this is true, providing we use the means He has provided which enable us to bear the suffering. Natural courage is not good enough in the face of certain eventualities, and will often fail us in the long run. Supernatural Courage, on the other hand, will never fail us, if, with our conscience clear of sin, we have the humility to ask for it, from moment to moment, in the midst of our suffering. There are times in life when it is necessary to exercise courage by holding a "supernatural hand," while we tie our every thought to Jesus Christ. And the resulting new relationship, and new intimacy with the Son, is the very reason that the Father allowed the naturally, overwhelming suffering in the first place.

So a fully rounded spirituality will include "courage" and the Cross, as a significant foundation based on the pervasiveness of suffering in this life, and the reality of our human vulnerability. And granted that no one likes to dwell on the negative side of spirituality, the Cross and courage, once in place, support the unspeakable joy, goodness, happiness, and beauty that form the positive aspects of the Contemplative experience in this world. For what good are all the joys, marvels and wonders of the spiritual life if we turn away from God when we are confronted with annoying and intimidating people, or the suffering accompanying the spiritual nights, and the birth of the New Man and the Resurrected Christ in our lives? For it is through our own personal exercise of "courageous endurance," setting our spiritual faces "like flint," that we embrace suffering and the Cross in our lives, and thereby, joining it to Supernatural Power, transform pain and sorrow into spiritual strength and the Resurrection Power of Almighty God.

Since 15 Feb 2002