One of my favorite prayers is this from St. Francis de Sales: “Be at peace. Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life; rather look to them with full hope as they arise. God, whose very own you are, will deliver you out of them. He has kept you hitherto, and He will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in His arms. Do not fear what may happen tomorrow; the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you then and every day. He will either shield you from suffering or will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginings.”
We can allow so many outside matters to rob us of inner peace. Worries and concerns about loved ones. Conflicts with others which seem irresolvable. Negative comments and criticisms which often feel unfair and unfounded. The suffering of our brothers and sisters around the globe because of poverty and war. Regrets about the past or fears about the future. Doubts concerning God’s love and mercy for us.
Any, all, and more of such things can be a source of constant unrest, anxiety, anger, and fear within us.
Yet the saints, like St. Francis de Sales, bid us to be at peace. A striking aspect of saintly biographies is the degree of suffering, opposition, and conflict God’s best friends encountered in this life.
St. Paul suffered imprisonment and beheading for his faith in Christ, yet bids the Philippians “to have no anxiety at all.” (Philippians 4:6)
St. Teresa of Avila endured vicious attacks from members of her own community of Carmelites, because of her reforms of the order, yet writes in her famous prayer, “Let nothing disturb you, nothing frighten you . . . ”
St. Francis de Sales could not even enter his own diocese of Geneva because of the murderous violence of the Calvinists, yet he penned the beautiful prayer at the beginning of this piece.
Being close to Christ
Of course, their great secret to inner peace and tranquility was the depths of their spiritual relationship with Christ.
Knowing the absolute, redemptive, and healing power of the Lord’s love, the saints could face the darkest nights, suffer terrible calumnies, and endure hateful opposition, most often caused by others within the Church, with great equanimity and peace, because they rested in the Heart of Christ.
The further we can plunge into the infinite ocean of God’s mercy, as we come to know the enduring friendship of Jesus, the less negativity and difficulty can control us.
As we move deeper into the spiritual life, the fickle and ephemeral opinions of the world have less of a hold on us.
Fewer things matter, but those few things matter greatly.
Instead of squandering precious energy and time on the negative, the spiritual soul grapples increasingly with some fundamental questions.
How do I stand with God? Am I growing in virtue and grace? Am I serious about eradicating sin from my life? Do I authentically try to love others, especially the poor and the suffering? Is my relationship with Jesus Christ increasingly becoming the center point of my life?
When we can be intently focused on these important pursuits, we have less time to fret about all the dark things that often occupy our thoughts and imaginations.
A ‘spiritual reboot’
In this Jubilee Year of Hope, I seek to better practice what I am reflecting upon here.
This time of grace is a spiritual reboot for us, an opportunity to cast aside the encumbrances of sadness, sin, and death and to step into the vast beautiful world of the Resurrection of Christ.
I find the more rooted I am in prayer, especially in the Scriptures and Eucharistic Adoration, the less evil, sadness, and negativity have a hold on me.
Of course, this truth only makes sense. The closer I am to the Light, the less the darkness can win.
As John’s Gospel says, “The light has shone in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:5)
In our more pessimistic moments, it may feel like the darkness is winning, yet we know that the Lord has already gained the victory in His Cross and Resurrection.
We have read the Book of Revelation and we know that sin and death do not have the final word on us.
This radical hope in Christ gives us the confidence and peace to move forward joyfully, not letting the demons of despair, shame, anger, fear, and anxiety reign over us.
I pray this Jubilee Year be a time of renewal in hope and peace for us, as we seek to live in love and thanksgiving, protected by the grace of the Holy Spirit and the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary from all that could harm us or draw us away from the Lord.