2nd Sunday after Easter = PROVIDENCE
Fr Patrick Summers, District Superior of Asia, SSPX
For your Father knows that you have need of all these things. Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you. (Mtt 6:32-33)
Yes, today we have the opportunity to speak on Divine Providence…this reality that is so necessary to understand and reflect upon continuously in our lives here below.
We are reassured oftentimes from the Gospels that Our Lord has all things in hand, that all will be well. We must simply believe and follow His teachings and everything will be fine and dandy. But how does one do this…how do we get up from our Thanksgiving at the end of Mass and live amidst all the difficulties and trials of our modern times, sandwiched between a crisis in our Holy Mother Church and the simultaneous horrible/insane paganism in civil society? It is only natural and human to be tempted to throw up our hands, panic and run for the hills!! To find a nice cave or a large forested region and get off the grid…surely this is our only option?
However, if we are thinking this when faced with the disastrous situation in which we live…we have misunderstood or forgotten what God is…what His Omnipotence is, ULTIMATELY, we are forgetting what Divine Providence is and what it means…how it operates and how we ought to cooperate with it...for it is the trust in Divine Providence which Our Lord speaks of when He tells us “Be not solicitous/anxious for your Father knows you have need of all these things.” Perhaps we can all admit it is easier said than done…
But what is this Divine Providence?
Providence = Pro + Videre = To see ahead, to prepare, foresight of God who see all of eternity as one present moment.
Providence is nothing else than God Himself in His wisdom ordering all events within the universe, that the end for which they were created may be realized. That end is that all creatures should manifest the glory of God, and in particular that man should glorify Him, recognizing in nature the work of His hand, serving Him in obedience and love, to be rewarded with eternal happiness. In spite of sin, which is due to the wilful perversion of human liberty, allowed by God, and in spite of evil which is the consequence of sin, He directs all, even evil and sin itself, to the final end for which the universe was created. All these operations on God's part are attributed to Divine Providence.
Can we not see this countless times in the lives of the saints? For example:
St Joseph - Take Mary as your wife even though you don’t understand God’s working in Her miraculous pregnancy, Go into Egypt and leave behind everything to save the Son of God from persecution (why does the infant Jesus need protecting anyhow?)
The big questions that we can always ask is “How can we ourselves love and cooperate with this Divine Providence?” If it is so necessary, if love of Providence is the only way to happiness and peace of soul, if it is the sure/certain way to sanctity and salvation of souls, again, how can we cooperate with it?
How do we find Divine Providence - The saints have made it very practical for us in giving us the example and teaching that “Duties of each moment are the shadows which hide the working of Divine Providence.”
Yes, for in reality sanctity can be reduced to one single practice, faithfulness to the duties appointed by God.
Now this fidelity to our duties is equally within each one’s power whether in its active practice, or passive exercise.
The active practice of fidelity consists in accomplishing the duties which devolve upon us whether imposed by the laws of God and of the Church, or by the particular state in our lives that we may have embraced. (parent, religious, student, child, single, married, retired, widow, widower)
Its passive exercise consists in the loving acceptance of all that God sends us at each moment. This is the embracing of all those things in our lives which are outside our control or influence…the situations/crosses/or even rewards that fall upon us and we cannot get rid of them in justice or charity. Whether it is the betrayal by another person, a situation in our life that we don’t like, a workload that is not pleasant or interesting… it is so many things outside our control…
Does God ask of us these practices above our strength? Certainly not the active fidelity, since the duties it imposes cease to be duties when we have no longer the power to fulfil them. If the state of your health does not permit you to go to Mass you are not obliged to go. The same rule holds good for all the precepts laid down. Can there, then, be anything more reasonable? What excuse can be made? Yet this is all that God requires of the soul for the work of its sanctification. He never impels anyone beyond his strength, nor in any way beyond his aptitude. Again, what could be more just?
What about a difficult order from our superiors in this life? Children commanded by their parents, parish priest to his parishioners, priests commanding other priests, etc. In understanding Divine Providence, we have no power to refuse a charge that is contrary to all our likes/dislikes and for which we do not believe ourselves to have any aptitude. ”In God I hope and know I will find a remedy for everything, and I feel a confidence in Divine Providence which enables me to surmount all difficulties. Besides this I enjoy peace and tranquility in the midst of a thousand cares and anxieties, such as I should have imagined ought naturally to overwhelm me.” It is that consoling/comforting thought that we can do all that is within our abilities and powers and then leave the remainder in the hands of Divine Providence, to make it a success or a total failure as He wishes…and sleep like a baby each night.
It is true that what most contributes to produce this great peace is, that God has rendered the soul which follows Divine Providence impervious to fear, and it desires nothing for this short and miserable life. Therefore, when it has done all in its power or that it felt before God that it ought to do, the soul leaves the rest to Him, abandoning everything entirely and with its whole heart to Divine Providence, blessing Him beforehand for all things and wishing in all, and above all, that His holy will may be done because we are convinced by faith that all comes from God, and that He is so powerful and such a good father, that He will cause everything to prosper for the advantage of His dear children. Has He not proved that He loves us more than life itself since He has sacrificed His life for love of us? Therefore, as He has done so much for love of us, are we not convinced that He will not forget us? (This is truly the understanding of Our Lord’s teaching O ye of little faith? Be not solicitous therefore, saying, What shall we eat: or what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the heathens seek. For your Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.)
Therefore, my dear faithful, let us remember these two principles of Divine Providence in our daily lives:
1st, To be profoundly persuaded that nothing takes place in this world either spiritually or physically, that God does not will, or at least, permit; therefore we ought to submit to the Will of God when He permits things that we dislike, (even the heaviest of crosses).
2nd, Believe firmly that everything that God wills or permits to happen will, according to the plan of His all-powerful and paternal Providence, turn always to the advantage to those who love and accept His Divine Plan.
Fr Patrick Summers, District Superior of Asia, SSPX
For your Father knows that you have need of all these things. Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you. (Mtt 6:32-33)
Yes, today we have the opportunity to speak on Divine Providence…this reality that is so necessary to understand and reflect upon continuously in our lives here below.
We are reassured oftentimes from the Gospels that Our Lord has all things in hand, that all will be well. We must simply believe and follow His teachings and everything will be fine and dandy. But how does one do this…how do we get up from our Thanksgiving at the end of Mass and live amidst all the difficulties and trials of our modern times, sandwiched between a crisis in our Holy Mother Church and the simultaneous horrible/insane paganism in civil society? It is only natural and human to be tempted to throw up our hands, panic and run for the hills!! To find a nice cave or a large forested region and get off the grid…surely this is our only option?
However, if we are thinking this when faced with the disastrous situation in which we live…we have misunderstood or forgotten what God is…what His Omnipotence is, ULTIMATELY, we are forgetting what Divine Providence is and what it means…how it operates and how we ought to cooperate with it...for it is the trust in Divine Providence which Our Lord speaks of when He tells us “Be not solicitous/anxious for your Father knows you have need of all these things.” Perhaps we can all admit it is easier said than done…
But what is this Divine Providence?
Providence = Pro + Videre = To see ahead, to prepare, foresight of God who see all of eternity as one present moment.
Providence is nothing else than God Himself in His wisdom ordering all events within the universe, that the end for which they were created may be realized. That end is that all creatures should manifest the glory of God, and in particular that man should glorify Him, recognizing in nature the work of His hand, serving Him in obedience and love, to be rewarded with eternal happiness. In spite of sin, which is due to the wilful perversion of human liberty, allowed by God, and in spite of evil which is the consequence of sin, He directs all, even evil and sin itself, to the final end for which the universe was created. All these operations on God's part are attributed to Divine Providence.
Can we not see this countless times in the lives of the saints? For example:
St Joseph - Take Mary as your wife even though you don’t understand God’s working in Her miraculous pregnancy, Go into Egypt and leave behind everything to save the Son of God from persecution (why does the infant Jesus need protecting anyhow?)
The big questions that we can always ask is “How can we ourselves love and cooperate with this Divine Providence?” If it is so necessary, if love of Providence is the only way to happiness and peace of soul, if it is the sure/certain way to sanctity and salvation of souls, again, how can we cooperate with it?
How do we find Divine Providence - The saints have made it very practical for us in giving us the example and teaching that “Duties of each moment are the shadows which hide the working of Divine Providence.”
Yes, for in reality sanctity can be reduced to one single practice, faithfulness to the duties appointed by God.
Now this fidelity to our duties is equally within each one’s power whether in its active practice, or passive exercise.
The active practice of fidelity consists in accomplishing the duties which devolve upon us whether imposed by the laws of God and of the Church, or by the particular state in our lives that we may have embraced. (parent, religious, student, child, single, married, retired, widow, widower)
Its passive exercise consists in the loving acceptance of all that God sends us at each moment. This is the embracing of all those things in our lives which are outside our control or influence…the situations/crosses/or even rewards that fall upon us and we cannot get rid of them in justice or charity. Whether it is the betrayal by another person, a situation in our life that we don’t like, a workload that is not pleasant or interesting… it is so many things outside our control…
Does God ask of us these practices above our strength? Certainly not the active fidelity, since the duties it imposes cease to be duties when we have no longer the power to fulfil them. If the state of your health does not permit you to go to Mass you are not obliged to go. The same rule holds good for all the precepts laid down. Can there, then, be anything more reasonable? What excuse can be made? Yet this is all that God requires of the soul for the work of its sanctification. He never impels anyone beyond his strength, nor in any way beyond his aptitude. Again, what could be more just?
What about a difficult order from our superiors in this life? Children commanded by their parents, parish priest to his parishioners, priests commanding other priests, etc. In understanding Divine Providence, we have no power to refuse a charge that is contrary to all our likes/dislikes and for which we do not believe ourselves to have any aptitude. ”In God I hope and know I will find a remedy for everything, and I feel a confidence in Divine Providence which enables me to surmount all difficulties. Besides this I enjoy peace and tranquility in the midst of a thousand cares and anxieties, such as I should have imagined ought naturally to overwhelm me.” It is that consoling/comforting thought that we can do all that is within our abilities and powers and then leave the remainder in the hands of Divine Providence, to make it a success or a total failure as He wishes…and sleep like a baby each night.
It is true that what most contributes to produce this great peace is, that God has rendered the soul which follows Divine Providence impervious to fear, and it desires nothing for this short and miserable life. Therefore, when it has done all in its power or that it felt before God that it ought to do, the soul leaves the rest to Him, abandoning everything entirely and with its whole heart to Divine Providence, blessing Him beforehand for all things and wishing in all, and above all, that His holy will may be done because we are convinced by faith that all comes from God, and that He is so powerful and such a good father, that He will cause everything to prosper for the advantage of His dear children. Has He not proved that He loves us more than life itself since He has sacrificed His life for love of us? Therefore, as He has done so much for love of us, are we not convinced that He will not forget us? (This is truly the understanding of Our Lord’s teaching O ye of little faith? Be not solicitous therefore, saying, What shall we eat: or what shall we drink, or wherewith shall we be clothed? For after all these things do the heathens seek. For your Father knoweth that you have need of all these things. Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.)
Therefore, my dear faithful, let us remember these two principles of Divine Providence in our daily lives:
1st, To be profoundly persuaded that nothing takes place in this world either spiritually or physically, that God does not will, or at least, permit; therefore we ought to submit to the Will of God when He permits things that we dislike, (even the heaviest of crosses).
2nd, Believe firmly that everything that God wills or permits to happen will, according to the plan of His all-powerful and paternal Providence, turn always to the advantage to those who love and accept His Divine Plan.