St Paul writes: “Suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character, and character hope.”

It is only by accepting that the world is so afflicted by so much sorrow, suffering, wickedness, unhappiness and calamities is due to the revealed doctrine of original sin and that the Christian’s hope is Jesus Christ as his only mighty saviour that his faith is sustained. Such is our unhappy lot “in this vale of tears”.

However, God helps us to profit by these miseries of life by opening our hearts to tenderness, sympathy, compassion and love. He gives us the greater in proportion to our efforts.

He uses pain and sorrow to teach us that this world offers us no lasting happiness and to make us look with a hopeful eye to our true home where “He shall wipe away all tears… and death shall be no more, nor mourning, nor crying, nor sorrow” (Apoc. 21; 4)

Pain is indeed a cruel discipline like a plant whose root is bitter, but its fruit is sweet. But we are now talking again about faith in Jesus’ teachings, exemplary life and eventual salvation of mankind.

We all feel dumbfounded and chastened about the mystery of death but how bountiful and beneficial the grace if at that moment the flame of faith is burning within us. Jesus takes us by the hand and once again exclaims: Rise again, rise.

 

John Azzopardi

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