04 February 2006

Hmm. Ever been there?

How true, how true:

However, St. Silouan teaches that man often makes his sufferings out to be more unbearable than they really are. This is a source of great anxiety and it is due to lack of faith. It shows that the believer has not yet humbled himself, nor given himself over completely to the will of God.33 The believer must realize that it is ultimately the Lord who is in complete control of every facet of his life. By allowing such sufferings, whether they be physical ailments or spiritual trials, the Lord actually directs and disciplines the believer, thereby making him His own `legitimate' son or daughter. In the Epistle to the Hebrews we read, "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage when you are punished by Him. For the Lord disciplines whom He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives…God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline…then you are illegitimate children and not sons…He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness."34

The rest of this article on Suffering can be found here (and thanks to Deb for pointing me to it):

http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/grelihm/77786/

How often is the suffering of our lives magnified by our fear, our lack of trust? Kyrie, eleison!

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