Waiting with Hope

"He loves, he hopes, he waits. Our Lord prefers to wait Himself for the sinner for years rather than keep us waiting an instant.” - St. Maria Goretti

Recently, a family member had some cataract surgery. The doctor gave specific instructions as to what the expectations were during the recovery process. The instructions were clear, but this person is not the best patient so we needed to step in to give as much support as we could. How often are we not the best patients with our Lord? We do not spend our time wisely. Yes, the Prophet Micah reminds us to wait for the Lord. Advent is a time of waiting and hope. Instead, we spend our time on frivolous activities, and we do not invest our time in preparing for a great event that is to come. Television broadcasts Christmas movies for weeks and then on the 26th, poof, they are gone. We need to wait for the Lord.

"When you approach the tabernacle remember that he has been waiting for you for twenty centuries." - St. Josemaria Escriva

Sometimes, I think of St. Monica, who waited and prayed for the conversion of her son, Augustine. Sts. Anne and Joachim waited for years to have a child. We are all waiting for something. St. Pelagius of Cordoba was imprisoned in Moorish Spain in place of the bishop who was released. He was in jail for three years and he even befriended his jailer. He was invited to the Moorish court and was offered many riches. He rejected all of it and said, A Christian I have been, "Chrisitan I am, and Christian I shall continue to be.” He was tortured and executed, and he has been venerated by the Spanish ever since. Another saint, Fina of Gimignano was born into a poor family. Her father died and she contracted multiple illnesses and became paralyzed. Her mother needed to leave for work for some hours. During the day, she was left alone. She would pray and gaze at the crucifix in her room and ask for patience and strength. Then her mother died and a friend came to care for her. She heard about St. Gregory the Great who also suffered hardships. He came to her in a vision before she died, and, inexplicably, the villagers found white violets on her bed.

“Have patience in all things but first with yourself.” St. Francis de Sales

I attended a recital recently and I saw a group of young nuns. My first reaction was to tell them how great it was to see such young women in habit. They said they are praying for more young people to join. Those prayers could take years, but they continue. It is difficult to concentrate during Advent with so many distractions around us. Christmas decorations are up sometimes in September, and the music starts in the stores early. We cannot surrender to this distraction.  We need to be firm in our faith. We all waited for things and for people. Planes are delayed, people disappoint us and we might need to save our money for that new computer. Yet, waiting teaches us many things. Let us be open to these experiences. Pope Leo urged the young people to listen to that yearning and "turn this thirst into a step stool, like children who stand on tiptoe, in order to peer through the window of encounter with God," who has been "waiting for us, knocking gently on the window of our soul."

“Patience, prayer and silence. These are what gives strength to the soul.” St. Faustina