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JMJ
"In the same way, do not hope for many joys here below, otherwise you would have too many disappointments. For myself, I know by experience what to think of earthly joys. If I did not hope for the joys of Heaven, I should be very unhappy. Pray with confidence to the Mother of Mercies; she will come to our help with the goodness and sweetness of the tenderest of mothers."
(Letter of Bl. Zélie Martin, mother of St. Therese, June 25, 1877)
The Catechism of the Catholic Church points to Paul's letter to the Hebrews in its definition of Faith:
"Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."One's faith must shape who he is and who he strives to be. It must inform the decisions of his day, and infuse his whole being. His faith tells him that he is not long for this world, and must not let the numerous frustrations of the day blur his vision of Paradise. Those difficulties need not be frustrations but instead illuminations: little lights that allow him to recall the plan for holiness: to deny himself and take up his cross daily. His day must start with, not just the knowledge that he must deny himself, but the actual desire to sacrifice his will; the desire to sacrifice his pride, his opinions, his timeline, his pleasures, his comfort.
Crucifixes adorn the walls of many a Christian home. They are meant as a daily reminder of the price of our redemption and our need to live our lives as one of thanksgiving for this incredible and inestimable gift God has given to us. Yet, they also serve as a reminder that the Son came from heaven, not just to open its gates, but to show us that His path is the only way to Paradise. He cannot come down from the Cross to be with us; we must go up to the Cross to be with Him.
