Year of Marian Consecration
I see grace when a person shows their dislike of me and my beliefs, because it's an opportunity for spiritual growth. I don't encourage anybody to dislike me, I hope not, but I do see it as an opportunity of spiritual growth. It takes humility and self control to hold your tongue when others speak unkindly to you or of you. It's very tempting to want to say what you think is right and why the other is not, but God knew, in which every way, that we should be tempted and has given us a perfect example of resistance in each temptation. The resistance God gave us is the Word made flesh, and He dwelt among us. Our perfect example for resistance is His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. When I first began to read the bible, someone told me to read the gospels, and so I did. I was thirsting for answers and for love, and I had found it in our Lord Jesus Christ. He satiates my soul's thirst. In the gospels we read, and by the grace of God, are made known the horrible afflictions that Jesus has endured for us, and eventually His death on the cross, has given us new life. How can I not try, at least, to practice and follow as Jesus did in this world and in the face of every temptation put in front of me?
Matthew 5:38-39 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, offer no resistance to one who is evil. When someone strikes you on your right cheek, turn the other one to him as well."
Most of the time we are clueless to what others are truly dealing with spiritually, emotionally, and even physically. Often, when their guard is always up, they are hiding what is truly darkening their spirit. Unless the Holy Spirit is leading you to that person to offer your gifts to them, it is not your duty to do anything but show love and pray. It takes work, but to God, we are all His children and none above the other. When our brothers and sisters are in struggle, we should not make mockery of it because what is darkening their spirit is being given light by God, through their struggle. Instead, we should pray for our brothers and sisters to see the light of God. Sometimes we are blinded with one thing after another.
Matthew 21:18-22 "When he was going back to the city in the morning, he as hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went over to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. And he said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you again." And immediately the fig tree withered. When the disciples saw this, they were amazed and said, "How was it that the fig tree withered immediately?" Jesus said to them in reply, "Amen, I say to you, if you have faith and do not waver, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' it will be done. Whatever you ask for in prayer and faith, you will receive."
When we find ourselves the victim of another person's strife, let us not see or think ourselves as a victim. Rather, we are children of God and brothers and sisters to Jesus Christ, so let's use our faith and pray for one another. God did not create us to solve every problem, but to trust every problem to Him completely. The more we have given ourselves to God, don't we find ourselves being filled with something even greater? God would not leave us empty, instead, He takes all that is troubling us and gives us peace. God is always shaping us as His child.
Matthew 9:16-17 "No one patches an old cloak with a piece of unshrunken cloth, for its fullness pulls away from the cloak and the tear gets worse. People do not put new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the new skins are ruined. Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved."
Something that always crowded my thoughts, and sometimes still does, is assumption. I assume this person doesn't like me, I assume this person was talking behind my back, and I assume this person has just acted purposely for the sake of being unkind to me. I used to always walk around and look over my shoulder at people. Assumptions only lead to sin and takes our time that we should be using for prayer. When I begin to assume, I immediately begin to pray our Lord's prayer, 'Our Father.' In the prayer I am speaking to God and beg Him, "Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." For me, I am telling God that I give my thoughts and prayers to Him, so my actions on earth are of pure intention for His love. I also begin to pray the St. Francis of Assisi prayer for peace, "Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love."