Benjamin Disraeli said: “The secret of success is constancy to purpose”. If great people are extolled in human history because they keep their tenacious resolve going, how much more should people who aspire to holiness be encouraged and have their example followed, simply because they stay in the Lord’s way no matter what they have to face.

The Bible speaks highly of the virtue of perseverance. For instance, in the book of Jeremiah, the Lord is portrayed as persistently sending the prophets to his chosen people, even if the latter would not heed to his words. “Yet I persistently sent to you all my servants the prophets, saying, ‘Oh, do not do this abominable thing that I hate!” (Jer. 44, 4). Love is always persistent and does not tire but keeps giving the interminable second chance.

Perseverance does not happen in a vacuum. It is something that is built day after day. That is why holiness is never out of fashion. Authentic holiness is built by actions motivated by love for God, neighbour and oneself. If holiness is the biggest endeavour of a fruitful life, which it certainly is, then Dale’s Carnegie’s advice is the one that needs to be heard. “Don’t be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves”.

Holiness pervades one’s thoughts, feelings and actions.

In holiness, everything counts towards letting God build one’s existence with his lifegiving grace.

And if the Lord acknowledges that a person is doing her/his own best to love as well as to put him at the top of her/his priorities, how can he not give that person all the necessary support to enter into communion with him?

There are four elements that help us understand how to persevere in the Lord’s way. The first feature is search. If we love God “with all y/our heart, and with all y/our soul, and with all y/our might” (Deut. 6, 5) we seek God’s plan in order to pursue it. Sincere seeking is completed by acceptance. “Here I am, Lord” (Acts 9, 10). Even though clarity is not available to us yet, we feel at peace to abide by God’s loving will. Obviously peace has to be kept and cultivated. Thus, consistency is called for. There has to be coherence between what one assents to in an act of faith and what one gives witness to by the way one lives. Consistency can only bear its fruit when accompanied and sustained by endurance. Like the seamless garment of Christ, a convincing Christian life is one that is nicely knitted with concrete uncompromising decisions that are translated into actions done out of love for the Lord.

It is true that at times we fall short of our commitment. We are all human beings and mistakes, sins and misunderstandings may get in the way of our spiritual maturity. But even if these happen, let us not forget the Japanese proverb: “Fall seven times, stand up eight”.

Our effort is unquestionably essential. On the other hand, “if God is for us, who is against us?” (Rom. 8, 31). Why not then pray to the Lord that he will help us persevere in order to prove before the world “what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12, 2).

Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap

San Gwann