Persecution, Complaints and Unjust Accusations: It’s all Good

By Saint Anthony of Padua

“It is only in adversity that we come to know whether we have made real progress in goodness . . . Two things the devil fears above all: the fire of charity and the well-trodden path of humility . . . The poor of Jesus Christ, who are marked with the sign of his poverty as long as they are in this world, consider themselves pilgrims and exiled from the Lord (2 Cor. 5:6) and walk roughshod over the passing things of this world. Unless we keep our hearts thus unfettered, how can we come to the Lord?

“Nothing apart from God can satisfy the human heart which is truly in search of him. Patience is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in us. Practically, we are required to be patient in many ways: for there are some things, trials and crosses, which come to us from God; others, temptations and enticements that come to us from our old adversary the devil; still other difficulties that arise from our neighbor: persecution, complaints and unjust accusations. Against all these we must be ever on our guard lest we give way to complaining against the trials our maker sends us; lest again we be led astray into sin, which is what the devil wants; or to be overly disturbed by the thoughtlessness or unkindness of others. For if we want to have our own way always, aren't we really seeking our reward here below in the things of this life? Let us couple patience and long-suffering in the spirit of meekness and faith (and so bring forth fruit in patience)!”
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