Rebuke 2-Trials

Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” When we accept the burden of whatever unjust ways or means, that cross which is ours really becomes His Cross — His burden. “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart,” Matthew 11:28-29

A yoke placed between two oxen kept both of them yoked together, the load was easier to carry and the work of the farmer done. When Jesus places the burden of the cross upon our shoulders, He Himself shares the load.

We must put aside our own thoughts of how things should be and humbly accept the things we cannot change.

And he called to him the multitude with his disciples, and said to them, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 8:34-35.
We think that gain­ing the whole world would be a blessing and yet Jesus expects us to be willing to give it up entirely for His sake, to count it as nothing.
Jesus said, “and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.” Matthew 10:38.

Life presents us with challenges. When troubles come and my heart is burdened and my soul grows so weary, may I always remember that I am never alone. Jesus is always here with each one of us.
Let us remember Abba Father’s voice telling the disciples at the Transfiguration, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.”  

In trials God enriches our souls with the greatest graces. 

Advantage point 

The prodigal son, when he found himself under the necessity of feeding swine, and afflicted with hunger, exclaimed-”I will arise and go to my father.” Luke 15:18. Trials takes from our heart all the lures to earthly things and places our mind on the things of Heaven.

Vanity of vanities, everything is vanity. Trials keep us humble and content in the state in which God has placed us.

Job 5:17-18 “Behold, happy is the man whom God reproves; therefore despise not the chastening of the Almighty. For he wounds, but he binds up; he smites, but his hands heal. Job called those men happy whom God corrects by trials; God heals the broken-hearted. Paul gloried God in his tribulations.

Trials remind us of God, and compel us to trust in His mercy. We all undergo different levels of trials and all of us are given the grace that is necessary to pull through.

The beautiful thing about Jesus, is Jesus Himself. I mean there is no one like Him. Period!

HE is absolutely amazing, absolutely incredible. He is totally unpredictable and yet when it comes to His Father, He is completely humble and obedient, always doing the will of His Father, even unto a humiliating death on the CROSS. He is always one with Abba Father and the Holy-Spirit.

HE is the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. He is The Son of God and He leads with example. Yet when troubles come and you know nothing makes sense. Troubles, they don’t give a warning, they just come from all angles. What do you do?

For one, we do what Jesus did in the garden of Gethsemane, I surrender to God saying, Thy will be done. I never speak of my problems that is in the complaint format. I follow the adage, ‘This too shall pass’.

I am nothing and I have nothing. I am a beggar-when I say something like this, don’t get me wrong. It is always good to believe that everything that is-is God given. I have no control over anything. Everything that is, is God’s. When I know that nothing is in my control, I am saying everything is up to God. I totally am dependent on Him. What God gives, God can take away. Therefore what am I? When I come to realize my nothingness, I know and believe that He is a Sovereign God. And everything was and is always up to Him. I can do all things through Christ, Who strengthens me. Where He leads I follow. My life is in His hands. I can do nothing without Him. Everything is always up to Him.

When I am nothing-I am totally dependent on God my provider. How can I be afraid then? I will fear nothing for my Abba Father, watches over me. Trials are nothing when God is above. One only needs to see with the eyes of faith. And nothing will be IMPOSSIBLE!

Without trials we would not know what it is to be humble, or how it is to be patient, and how it is to surrender to God’s will. God loves a thankful heart.

The soul is made perfect when oppressed by trials. When we are on trial, the Lord is then near us and in our company. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. Psalm 91:15.

My God and my All! 

To bear trials
Avoid sin.

Have mercy on me a wretched sinner oh Lord, have mercy.

It is necessary to know that every trial, though it may come from men, has come with the consent of God. And remember, God gives us grace to overcome the temptation or trial. Everything that comes our way, works for our betterment, even though we seldom look at it that way.

When surrounded with trials, we must turn to God. We should be persistent and persevere in our prayer to Him. We must keep our eyes fixed onto God, and must continually implore until He is moved to compassion.

All good, all help must come from God. God will grant us the grace which we desire or He will give us grace to resign ourselves to His Divine will.

Why does God allow suffering?

Philippians 3:8-11 - “Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own, based on law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God depends on faith; that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his suffering, becoming like him in his death, that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead”

Paul understands that the suffering he endures serves as a way to be like Christ. Through his suffering, he sees himself as participating in the Passion of Christ.

Galatians 2:20 - “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Christ lives in him when he is ‘crucified with Christ.’

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Philippians 1:21

Paul suffers in this life as he is imitating Christ and thus becoming more Christ-like.

  

Paul thought of suffering as a means for sanctification, keeping pride at a lowest and trust in God at a maximum. He says: “And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me; but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong. ” 2 Corinthians 12:7-10.

It is in our weakness and suffering that we grow in humility and we cannot pride ourselves in our accomplishments. It is through grace that Paul can be content with suffering. 

In suffering, when united to Christ, death means life. 1 Corinthians 1:18: “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God”
The cross, is the perfect example of the suffering of Christ. Galatians 6:14 - But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6:17 - Henceforth let no man trouble me; for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.

Paul shared the key to his contentment: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want. Philippians 4:12

Paul suffered greatly. He experienced emotional and physical hardships. There were reasons he could be bitter, but he chose to become better. Paul learned to empty himself so that he could be filled with God. In life we will suffer, be misunderstood. We will experience the struggles in life. Paul shows us the way to discipleship.

When we make the choice to trust the Lord - and learn to walk through these troubled times in Him - we will find the path to contentment.

REMEMBER: Let us remember - the commandment that the 'Almighty God' gave:
'walk before me, and be blameless.'


Please do read:
To REBUKE or not...
Rebuke 3-The Wilderness
Rebuke-4 The Sacrifice

The celebration of the MASS!