“Now is the Son of Man
glorified, and God is glorified in him.
If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself,
and he will glorify him at once.
If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself,
and he will glorify him at once.
A man I greatly admired for
his wisdom, courage and integrity fell prey to depression. Suffering the same mental
illness I was astonished this should happen to him. At that time I was on the
road to recovery whereas he had been diagnosed only recently. Wanting to say
something encouraging and hopeful to him, I said, “Depression is like grace. You
didn’t earn it; you don’t deserve it.”
Sometimes punishment is
a blessing. Depression may not be a punishment as in retribution for
wrongdoing; but it is punishing, as in hard to bear and extremely discouraging.
I have also found it to be a brutal teacher who directs me toward grace. Helpless, I have had to abandon my solitary habits and accept help from others.
Jesus speaks of his
cross as glory. How can that be? But it is like grace; he didn’t deserve it. He did
not earn it. It was given to him by the Father with infinite love.
His cross was more than
physical pain. It was also Judas’ betrayal, Peter’s denial, the disciples’
flight, the contempt of his enemies, the condemnation of religious authorities,
the blood thirst of the mob and the indifference of the Romans. It was the
utter abandonment he felt before God. He did not deserve that; he did not bring
it upon himself; he did not earn it.
Can a cross be a blessing? Can the worse disaster of my life be a grace; perhaps even a calling? This is, as Saint Paul says of Marriage, a "great mystery."
Can a cross be a blessing? Can the worse disaster of my life be a grace; perhaps even a calling? This is, as Saint Paul says of Marriage, a "great mystery."
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.