When in difficulty and discouragement

WE cannot deny that our life has a lot more to offer and

challenge us than what we can handle and cope. We should not be

surprised by this fact of life. We have to acknowledge this reality

and just try our best to be amply prepared for it, developing the

relevant attitudes and skills.

            And the good preparation can start by reminding ourselves

of that beautiful story of the two disciples who were on their way to

Emmaus. (cfr. Lk 24,13-35) Like them, we can feel sad and depressed,

all hopes of a good life dashed, our expectations sharply

contradicted. They pinned so much hope on Christ to be their savior

from bondage to a foreign rule. But all that crashed with Christ’s

crucifixion.

            We just have to remember that Christ never abandons us and

is, in fact, all ready and prompt to come to our aid, albeit in ways

that we may not realize, at first, just like what happened in that

story of the two disciples.

            We should not allow our feelings of sadness to be so

dominant and pervasive that we shut off Christ’s many and often

mysterious ways of helping us. If we do not pose a deliberate

impediment to Christ’s ways, there is always hope. In our darkest

moments, some light will always come piercing and dispelling the

darkness away.

            In so many ways, Christ will remind us, as he did to the

two disciples, about the meaning of all human suffering, and of how

our suffering can be a way to our joy, to our fulfillment as a man and

as a child of God. He will explain to us why we have suffering in this

life and how we can take advantage of it to derive something good from

it.

            And like the two disciples, let us feel reassured by these

truths of our faith. “Were not our hearts burning within us while he

talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” (Lk

24,32) they said in amazement.

            And let’s make sure that we do not stay away from Christ

and from our faith. It would be unfortunate if we would not allow

Christ to finish his work with us. Like them we should say, “Stay with

us.”

            We would have the great fortune if we beg him always to

stay with us. Like them, we would have the privilege of recognizing

Christ as he is. This can happen if we go all the way to receiving

Christ in the Eucharist, just like that moment when the two disciples

recognized Christ when he broke bread with them.

            When we are in difficulty and on the brink of

discouragement, overwhelmed perhaps by the burdens in our life, let us

try our best to remain calm and be prayerful, so that the beautiful

story of the two disciples on their way to Emmaus can be played out in

our life. Let us avail of the sacraments, especially Confession and

the Eucharist, so that what we cannot handle can be taken care of by

Christ himself.

            We should have a good control of our emotions and our

other human faculties that certainly cannot cope with all the

mysteries of our life so that these do not give problems to our faith

and trust in God’s ways.

            And, yes, we have to learn to suffer. In this life, there

is no other way but to suffer. This is simply the consequence of all

the sins of men. But if we unite our suffering with that of Christ, we

can look forward also to our resurrection and victory over sin and

death with Christ.

            We should just be sport in this life, always managing to

be in good spirit, cheerful and optimistic, even if the circumstances

are dark and painful.