Littleness

"Pride? Why Before long — years, days, — you will be a heap of rotting flesh: worms, foul-smelling liquids, filthy shreds of cloth, and no one, on earth, will remember you."

-St. Josemaria Escriva, The Way, 601

Often times, we as Catholics can fall into a trap which tells us that our lives will end up in a great amount of glory.  We can get lost in the vast domains of our minds pondering great plans for the future that may never actually come true.  We prefer not to live in the present but the future is where we reside for we find consolations in our opaque imaginations. 

Such a way of life is incredibly dangerous and is an outright waste of time for those who are trying to live holy lives.  In our made up plans for the future, the horrible vice of pride can kick in.  Pride about our past victories and pride about any future events.  Why do we have this pride?  Do we not realize that we are nothing but misery and sin?  How can we sinful human beings consent to spend even one second on puffing ourselves up on such things?

Another point to ponder will go back to my first sentence.  Why do we feel like our lives have to include the glorious events that so many others around us have?  It is easy to dream about a future spouse, future job, future vocations, future children or future properties.  Are we actually guaranteed these things?

NO!  We are not guaranteed these things.  One of the beauties of the Pater Noster is the verse "Fiat Voluntas Tua" (Thy Will Be Done).  In the life of a Catholic, he might recite the Pater Noster thousands of times but how many times does he pay attention to "Fiat Voluntas Tua".  When we truly say to the Lord "Thy Will Be Done", we are giving Him control over all parts of our lives.  Every single part.  We must be content with whatever He chooses for us and live day by day doing His Will.  The key virtue needed for this to happen is humility.  If we do not pray for humility and if we do not suffer humiliations, we will not attain this most important virtue.  However, with humility, we can attain to a deeper understanding of "Fiat Voluntas Tua."

Imagine how beautiful a soul must be to Christ when that soul gives Christ full control of his will and intellect? Now see how happy it would make Our Lord if this holy soul said to Our Lord

"Lord, I do not ask for great glories in this life for they all nothing but vanities.  All I want to do is to do Your Will so that my soul may be saved.  Whatever my purpose is in my life, let it be fulfilled.  It does not matter if it a small purpose or a larger one.  Be it done unto me according to Thy Word."

Now imagine if the main purpose for this holy soul's life was to suffer a great illness and to offer the pains to Christ for the forgiveness of his sins and for the intentions of Our Lord.  Our Blessed Lord, seeing how this holy soul resigned himself to His Will, would use these sufferings to convert a hardened sinner into a faithful Catholic and into a holy Priest!  What a joy is it to participate in the economy of salvation!  This holy soul, with his humility, not only saved his soul but also did his part in the salvation of the soul of this sinner!

When napkins are utilized to clean the engine of a dirty automobile, does the napkin complain about being utilized for such a task and then for being thrown away?  They do not and we must see ourselves in the same way.  Let us put ourselves in the Hands of God so that while dying to self, we may attain to everlasting happiness.

May St. Anselm pray for us and help us with our holy aspirations,

Ecclésiam tuam, quæsumus, Dómine, benígnus illústra: ut beáti Ansélmi Confessóris tui atque Pontíficis illumináta doctrínis, ad dona pervéniat sempitérna.  Per Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum Fílium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti Deus, per ómnia sæcula sæculórum.  Amen.

21 April 2015
Feast of St. Anselm
Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor of the Church