For the majority of us the most horrible fear is the fear of speaking in front of the public, and the second most frightening fear is the fear of death. Does that mean that if we had to do a speech at a funeral we would prefer to be dead?
Registering in a Dale Carnegie course is our preference to taking up our cross of suffering and death? But what if the doctor gives us notice that our body is failing? It is the condition our flesh is heir to.
Each of us knows deep down that we seek the Lord. For centuries the great writers and philosophers have been telling us that. If we have not tried to kill the feeling, we hunger for God. It is part of our human nature. Most of us have watched the drama of the Cross and Resurrection.
Why can we not stay focused on the Glory to Come rather than on the hardships of this life? Because suffering comes too near us. A relative, a friend, someone dear to us is diagnosed with cancer or other disease. The battle is engaged.
Ultimately it is a matter of faith. Faith is a gift from God to us. It is something we should pray for and seek, something we need to work with, to use. It will give us focus and give our journey purpose.
Imagine that you are invited to a great wedding feast. You know that it will take effort and time and sacrifice to get there. There is hardship involved, heavy traffic to go through. But it is easy to stay focused and committed. You know that it is all worth it, even the expense. How easy it is to make the effort when we are sure of the feast.
Jesus gave us a glimpse of heaven. He came to earth to reveal to us God's love. He has invited us to the eternal wedding feast. He is our invitation and our focus. How could we even think of not going to the banquet?
The path is clear. Blessed John Paul II said, "If you wish to serve your brothers and sisters, let Christ reign in your hearts. Let him strengthen you above all with his charity. Let him guide you along the path that leads to holiness Do not be afraid to be saints."
Though we may not willingly court pain and suffering, it is in the spirit of Christ that we can make the wish: Thy will be done.
