Rule #5 - Be patient with yourself; God is.

We are now well into the second week of lockdown, and the consensus seems to be that we'll be here for a while. All the evidence seems to be that people are now, by and large, coming to terms with the new reality. Acceptance is beginning to set in... but one wonders for just how long?

On some level, it almost seems too obvious to say that what is called for now is patience. But this seemed the obvious place to conclude this series posts on the Five rules for a Spiritually Healthy Self-Isolation. As I have explained in former articles, this rather unique period in our country can be one that is extremely spiritually fruitful - if we will let it be. But, to a very great extent, that is going to be down to us. As individual Christians, we are now going to have to take a very personal responsibility for the nourishment and growth of our spiritual lives, throughout this period. I hope that the 5 rules I have offered give something of a guide as to how to do, just that:

Rule #1 - Have a Rule (Part 1) (Part 2)

Rule #2 - Do Something

Rule #3 - Listen to what God is try to say to you

Rule #4 - Be careful what you put in your mind

As a priest, in this time separated from his flock, all I am really able to do is to pray for the people to whom I am sent to minister, and hope that they are flourishing spiritually. Inevitably, one imagines that - away from the flock - some will wander after the lure of worldly things. However, the great hope is that the many will be striving to stay close to God, striving for holiness, even when separated from the normal means of grace in the sacraments. If you are reading this, then I suspect that you are; perhaps you are even trying very hard to follow the spiritual rules set out above. 

And therefore, my message to you, today, dear reader, is simply this: be patient with yourself; God is.... patient with you, that is. You may be trying your very best to implement a spiritual rule, or to stay away from unhelpful media; but, don't be too hard on yourself if it doesn't come together all at once. Grace doesn't work like that. Grace builds on nature, and natures grows strong over time.

When we are trying to move forward in the spiritual life, patience plays a number of very important roles.

1. Patience represents a real participation in the Cross of Christ. Our word 'patience' comes from the Latin passio, which means 'enduring' or 'suffering' - as in the Passion of Christ. It is a suffering for us to desire to be spiritually perfect, or at least spiritually better, and yet not be. In this small and important way we can unite our suffering to that of Christ (cf. Colossians 1.24)
2. The fruit of patience is humility, and this is, perhaps, the reason God doesn't grant us spiritual progress all at once. God has our salvation most in view, and He knows that what threatens it the most is our pride, our self-reliance; and if spiritual advancement came all to easily, there is a genuine danger that spiritual pride would be the result. In the end, we must each learn the same lesson as St. Paul - that God's grace suffices (see below).
3. The good news is that patience makes desire grow. The more we have to wait for grace, the more we desire it, and indeed the more purely we desire it. In the end, God is drawn to hearts that long for Him alone (see yesterday's post). By making us wait, God is also making us ready to receive Him - so that He can give Himself to us all the more when the time is right.

If you are implementing a spiritual rule and everything is going well for you at this time - then great; thanks be to God. If you are trying, but it isn't going so well, however, then the most important thing I can say is keep going. 

Growing spiritually is a lot like growing physically. If you exercise regularly, you get fitter and stronger. If you lift 25kg in the gym one day, the next time you'll life 27kg and the next time 30kg etc. Likewise, as you start to establish a spiritual rule, it will become easier from day to day, week to week. You might not manage it all to begin with, but quietly, growth will be taking place - because any effort to come closer God does not go unnoticed by Him, or unused by Him. However, just as, if the weight lifter took two weeks off, he would go backwards in the weight he could lift, so to will we go backwards spiritually, if we just stop making the effort. Therefore, the golden rule is always to keep plodding on patiently - leaving God to worry about our progress. If He can be patient, so can we be.

And in the end, we need to be gutsy in believing that as long as we have done what a frail, weak creature can do - the rest really is up to God's grace. Only He can get us to Heaven; but, the Good News of the Gospel, is that we know He wants that even more than we do!!

"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." (2 Corinthians 12.7-9)

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