Weakness=Hope

Greetings !

I just wanted to communicate with you something even though I’m already hesitant to do so. I’m
not a teacher nor a preacher but an inspiration comes to my mind and I got the courage to share it
with you.

We have every reason to trust greatly in God. Christ reminds us of this: “Look at the birds in
the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not worth much more than they are? “ ( Mt. 6:26 ). Here is another truth which should
bolster our trust in God. The Father loved man overwhelmingly even when he saw he was His
enemy in sin. He showed this love by giving His Son to live and die for the human race. How much
more, then, we should trust in God’s love, now that Christ has re-united us with the Father.

This does not say that we always find it easy to trust as we should. In time of special difficulty or
crisis, as our heads are bowed in anguish, we can especially experience the difficulty of properly
hoping in God. Yet it is precisely at these times when trust is all the more necessary to us. Despite
the pain, then, we must trust, even though at times it seems we are hoping against hope. We must
learn to trust as did as Abraham: though it seemed Abraham’s hope could not be fulfilled, he hoped
and he believed, and through doing so he did become the father of many nations exactly as he had
been promised.

God can act similarly with us as he did with Abraham. He can do just things with us if only we
allow Him to do so. Among other attitudes, we must have that of hope or trust. We must trust that
God can bring us to maturity in Christ. We must trust that the Father will give us all the graces
necessary to accomplish our mission in life, difficult as this mission may seem at times. We must
trust in this manner despite the great sense of our own weaknesses which can become especially
manifest at times. As a matter of fact, the more experience our weaknesses, the more optimistic we
should become.

This was the attitude of the saints. I think we often view the saints in the wrong light. We imagine
that they must have felt very secure in the strength of their spiritual development. It seems rather
that they were more aware of their weakness and helplessness than we are. Because of such an
awareness, they more and more went out of their weaknesses into the strength of Christ. They
became secure because they gave themselves completely to Christ, and to His reign of strength with
in Him.

In our own measure we can imitate the saints. We, too, can learn to build upon our own weakness.
The realization of our weakness should actually increase our hope. The more we admit our
helplessness, the more God tends to strengthen us with His grace. As long as we do not capitulate to
our weakness, let us glory in our helplessness so that Christ may posses us His desires.

In conclusion, St. Paul tells us: “ So I shall be very happy to make my weaknesses my special
boast so that the power of Christ may stay over me, and that is why I am quite content with
my weaknesses, and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and the agonies. I go through for
Christ’s sake. For it is when I am weak that I am strong.” ( 2 Col 12: 9-10 ).

Thanks for the attention.
GOD BLESS US ALL ! ! !

28th of October 2012
Province of Alessandria