Duc in Altum

This is the first post with the new Blogger. I have not fully explored the new features, but then again, I did not seem to have a choice. When I connected to Blogger, I was given the choice to either convert to the new Blogger or never post again. Fortunately, I already had a Gmail account. That saved one step. The other thing that made this less painful was the fact that I now have high speed Internet. It is somewhat unbelievable given my background, but we have just now moved from dial-up to DSL. So far so good. It is fast, and that makes quite a difference.

The next step is to move the graphics and scripts for this blog from the current server to the a new server because I need to shut down the dial-up service. That should not take too long, but tonight is not the night for that. I need to do a few more things and then head to bed.

This has not been a particularly theological or spiritual post. To make up for that I will add a quote from St. Colette whose feast is March 7th:

If there be a true way that leads to the Everlasting Kingdom, it is most certainly that of suffering, patiently endured.

The older I get, the more I grasp the very simple truth of that statement. Suffering, patiently endured, was the way of our Lord, and there is no reason why it should not be my way too.

Every time I avoid the cross, I quickly am given an opportunity to remember that my (spiritual) life is fundamentally about my cross that must be carried every day. The key, as St. Colette notes, is the patient endurance by which the suffering is borne. It is so easy for me to get caught up in the moment and to forget the need to remain calm under the pressure of daily life.

The virtue of patience allows me to recognize that often, well within 24 hours, what seemed to be a terrible crisis, is no longer even a problem. If I am able to remain focused on our Lord, have faith in Him no matter what the problems are, I can endure the suffering that is permitted. If I forget our Lord and try to muddle through on my own without the cross, I will make a mess of things. And if I try to do an end run around suffering or numb myself from it, I will be even worse off than if I had let it beat me down like wave in the ocean. No, my only hope for success is to heed this saints message and pray for the grace to patiently endure all that He allows, and to strive to overcome my own reluctance to accept suffering and embrace it as the way of our Lord.

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Labels: General, Saints