Aman man prayed earnestly, “Oh God, give me the grace of patience, and give it to me now. I need it urgently. I cannot wait.” A well intentioned prayer, but ironically patience has everything to do with waiting. Scripture reveals to us that patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. The manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s presence in our hearts is the power to wait for God’s plan to unfold itself in our lives.
“Blessed are all those who wait for Him” (Is 30:18)
St. Paul while commending the Colossian community for their exemplary faith in Christ and love for the Church, prays that they may be filled with wisdom to understand God’s will, and strengthened for patience. “From the day we heard this, we do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding, strengthened with every power… for all endurance and patience, with joy” (Col 1:9-11).
St Paul is praying for them to be blessed with two gifts of the Holy Spirit spiritual wisdom and patience. When we understand God’s plan, we will be able to wait. Heavenly wisdom gives rise to patience. This patience is crucial for the plan of God to be fulfilled. As we wait we permit God to have His way in our lives. This waiting on God is the power of patience and joy Patience does not mean passivity or laziness. It is an active and expectant cooperation with God for His plan to be executed without hindrance. This requires one to be conscious that what is happening at every moment is not a random event or accident, but the unfolding of God’s precious plan.
God says, “For I know well the plans I have in mind for you plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you
a future of hope” (Jer 29:11). This plan is hidden in the mind of God. Scripture continues to assure us, “We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose” (Rom 8:28). The Holy Spirit is constantly working, turning everything to our good. Those who love God know this. As we wait and pray, guided by the Holy Spirit, we cooperate with God’s working. We are not passive, disconnected and laidback.
Every morning, we wake up thanking
God for all that He has ordained for us in His loving plan. We recognize that our vocation, the particular situations of our life is the ground where the Lord has placed us to fulfil His mission. The role one plays as a priest, or parent, or professional, in our home, society and workplace, has been assigned by God. We are sent into this world with a unique set of potentialities and capabilities to fulfil this mission. Accepting our lives from God, we make our decisions in prayer.
“He has made everything beautiful in its time” (Ecel 3:11)
We are also aware of the imperfections, within us, in those around us and in our circumstances. When we consider these limitations, we cannot be intolerant and frustrated, nor can settle being defeatist and ignore the errors. We strive continually to overcome these imperfections, by sincere efforts to change, offering to God that which is yet to be changed. We must consider how it takes time for a bud to blossom into a flower. The petals will slowly unfurl. If we attempt to force open the petal, the flower gets disfigured. So also we need to wait patiently for the plan of God to unfold itself in our lives. I met a highly intelligent young man years ago. Right after high school, he had drawn out the route map for his entire life. Being the top ranker in school and college, he was confident he could determine every detail of his destiny. He told me that at the age of 30 he would get married. He had a list of qualifications his wife must possess to be his suitable partner. This included details of her education, profession, appearance, and family background. At the age of 35, he would have his first child, even if that would require him to adopt unethical modern scientific methods of IVF. He told me he could not wait beyond that time frame. He similarly had chalked out meticulous plans for the house he would build, and investments he would make. Now this man is 50 years old. He is the CEO of a multinational company. He is not married yet, because he has not found a wife to match his requirements. At his workplace he is in control. After those eight hours, he is a depressed man. We tend to imagine that we are the masters of our lives. We do all we can to be in control. When anything slips out of control we are disturbed and shattered. The reality is that life need not go as per our plans. We are in fact, not the masters of our life. We were not born according to our plans. It is God who brought us into existence, designing us according to a plan. When we surrender our lives in the hands of God, we enter the sphere of blessedness. We find the beauty and joy of living when we found our life on a committed relationship with God.
“Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?” (Gen 41:38)
There are two pivotal personalities in the Bible named Joseph one in the Old Testament, and the other in the New. These two men were great in the eyes of God, and through them God accomplished great things. Joseph of the Old Testament was the favourite of his father, the patriarch Jacob. God revealed to him of a great future through wonderful dreams. For these very reasons he suffered the envy of his brothers. Bent on destroying him, they ruthlessly sold him into slavery. He went through great sufferings. He was falsely accused of molesting his master’s
wife. He was imprisoned for years. Even while every event in his life seemed tragic, the glorious and loving plan of God was unfolding. Joseph was patient, waiting on God with expectant faith to fulfil the dreams that were so far removed from his dreary reality. No one who waits on God is disappointed. Joseph became the ruler of Egypt, the trusted prime minister of the Pharaoh. Because of Joseph, not only
Egypt, but the whole region was saved from famine. Even his father and brothers would find refuge in Egypt all of them saved because of Joseph. Joseph had to suffer patiently through long years of trial, after which he was lifted high in the eyes of God and man. Fourteen chapters in the book of Genesis (Gen 37-50) detail this life that was faithfully surrendered to God’s supreme plan. This remains a great inspiration. When things do not go according to our plan, we must wait and pray to understand God’s superior plan for us. Joseph of the New Testament received the superlative honour of being chosen by God to be the foster father for the Son of God. When the heavenly Father chose to send His Son to the world, He trusted this Joseph with His own son, and with the virgin mother. When Jesus Christ came to the earth, He chose to be known as the son of Joseph.
We count earthly blessings to be of the highest value. These, however, were not what God assigned for Joseph. Joseph did have dreams and plans. He was to lead a married life with Mary. Yet none of his dreams were realized. What happened, however, was that his very life and actions would become the word of God. Jesus would speak of a father’s love, saying, “What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?” How did Jesus think of this example, except through the loving witness of Joseph who raised Him? The word Jesus called Joseph would also
be the one He would use to address His eternal Father Abba’. This great honour was given to Joseph. Today, Joseph is the patron of the Church.
These two great men of God, presented to us in the Bible, are shining witnesses exhorting us to accept the wisdom of patiently waiting on God. We are assured from the trajectory of these two lives that there is no plan like God’s. If we are there waiting on God, He will raise us up and make us great in the heavenly places.
“Our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Rom 8:18)
Jesus never promised that life could be free of suffering and pain. If anyone claiming to be an evangelist conveyed that Jesus came to take away all the crosses from our lives, he or she is a liar. Jesus tells us clearly that there will be great pain in our lives, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labour, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world” (Jn 16:20,21). The Lord while telling us sufferings are bound to come, He assures us that our sufferings will have a supreme purpose, our tears will have value God’s hand will stretch out to wipe away our tears. We will be consoled. The Lord reminds us of a woman in labour. She is in great anguish precisely when her hour has arrived. This is the hour when she will give birth to a child. Holding this child her heart would be so flooded with joy that every trace of pain will be banished. A pregnant mother does not regret her condition. She is well aware that she will have to suffer. Yet she prepares actively, and expectantly. She cooperates with the plan of God. Our struggles are likened to this labour pain, for we have the assurance that this pain leads to the fullness of joy. When life situations are harsh, we must wait patiently, since we know that pain is like the darkness of a tunnel. As we wait in prayer we receive a glimpse that there is light coming at the end.
“Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for Him” (Ps 37:7) What makes pain unbearable is when we assume that we are in charge. We assign God to the role of a paid manager. We argue that we have done so much for God and He must execute what we have planned out. If we forget who God really is, we begin to question the fairness of the faithful God. When we insist on being the masters of our life, we get disillusioned with God and we would give up on faith, and exit the church.
We must honestly ask ourselves what our faith is about. If we truly accept God as the Lord of our lives, we would not complain and get impatient. We would accept that God is good and wise, and knows exactly what is happening in our lives. We would thrive on the endless hope the patriarchs of the Bible witnessed to.
Three ladies called me seeking prayers for their children who have applied for the Canadian visa. Some months later, one lady called me up and was very angry. She shouted saying, “God is not fair. The children of the other two ladies got their work visa. Her daughter did not. Like them, I too go for Sunday Mass. I donate to the church. I am born in a Catholic family. What mistake did I make? God is very unfair. I have stopped going to church. I have thrown away my scapular. The other two children will go to Canada next week. My daughter is depressed and angry. I have been foolish to pray.” This lady had a clear plan for her daughter’s life. She had the details drawn up and needed to be in control. She needed God only to execute her plan. When God failed her expectations, she thought she could “fire” God!
In stark contrast is the testimony of this man I know rather well. His wife was diagnosed with cancer at a rather advanced stage. In a short span his life collapsed. Three months after the diagnosis, she died. He found himself having to raise the two children by himself. I had gone to meet him a month after her passing. I did not know how to console him. I prayed with him. He was in tears. He shared how unimaginable was his loss. She was such a loving person a great gift of God to him and the children. He then said, “God has taken her away for His own reason. I don’t understand why. But one thing I know, God knows what is best for all of us. I hold on to my children every day, and I praise God with them. I am sad. I feel the absence of my wife. My one prayer is that her absence may be turned to a heavenly presence for us. I am still praying for that grace. I have no complaints at all. God has always taken care of us. I can trust Him completely.
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you”
(Ps 56:3)
Patience is a power of the Holy Spirit, offered to us. We must actively cooperate with the Holy Spirit especially in the moments of our trials and troubles. Such times are bound to come. Precisely at these moments we must exercise faith, asking the Holy Spirit to help us trust in God and understand His plan. The sad reality is that we do not pray. We complain, get sad and angry. Instead if pray with faith, the Holy Spirit will reward us with this important grace of patience.
Pope Benedict XVI had exhorted the Church: “Be patient with God.” When we get angry with God, we have stepped aside from faith. Then we slip into despair and arrogance. Instead if we pray as Mother Mary did, “Here I am, the servant of God. Let it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38), then we shall be filled with heavenly joy. Our hearts will rejoice as Mother Mary did when she sang the Magnificat. When she sang the praises of God, “My soul magnifies the Lord,” nothing in her life was comfortable or secure. Yet being given the grace
of the Holy Spirit, she was able to endure in patience through the dark hours of uncertainty. It is this grace that will carry us through life, no matter what storms arise. As we wait in prayer, the Holy Spirit will secure our hearts with the grace of patience, and the Lord’s mighty purposes for us shall be fulfilled.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank you for your faithful love. You have collected our tears. You will never forget us. We trust in your unfailing goodness and perfect plan for our lives.
Lord Jesus, you endured with infinite patience the sins of humankind, the failings of your own disciples. As you bore the Cross, your eyes were set on the glorious plan of the heavenly Father for our salvation. We thank you for showing us that every suffering in our life will lead us to the experience of the glory of Easter.
Holy Spirit, we seek your heavenly presence in our hearts. When sufferings overwhelm us, and everything looks dark around us and within us, Spirit of God, let your light shine upon us. Do not permit us to slip into despair and arrogance. Strengthen our hearts that we may wait patiently for God’s plan to unfold in our lives. May the Lord’s glorious plan be fulfilled in our lives. Amen.