Self-Discipline and Trust
When God Smiles
Photo By: Flickr/OakleyOriginals
Alone and defenseless, surrounded by a screaming, racist mob at the door of a North Carolina schoolhouse in 1962, an eight-year-old black girl looked up and began to smile. A woman shouted at her, "Hey you little n-----, what are you smiling at?" "At God," she replied. "I see him up there smiling at me." The woman looked up, then at the girl. And the taunting ceased.
If we could see God smiling upon us lovingly in the midst of our adversities, how easily we could bear even the most arduous and painful trials. When we see only our hurtful situations, we find little to smile about. But God sees our goodness in submitting to his permissive will that permits the hurt in those situations. And his smile is a smile of love that is planning our great reward.
The apostles, after being flogged, rejoiced "because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace" (Acts 5:41). They must have been somehow aware of God smiling on them, as they left the Sanhedrin with engmatic smiles, themselves "rejoicing."
And possible they reminisced about the beatitude of Jesus: "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness....Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven" (Mt 5:10-12).
This excerpt is from the book One-Minute Meditations for Busy People, by John H. Hampsch, C.M.F., originally published by Servant Publications. It and other of Fr. Hampsch's books and audio/video recordings can be purchased from Claretian Teaching Ministry, 20610 Manhattan Pl, #120, Torrance, CA 90501-1863. Phone 1-310-782-6408 or www.Catholicbooks.net
This excerpt is from the book One-Minute Meditations for Busy People, by John H. Hampsch, C.M.F., originally published by Servant Publications. It and other of Fr. Hampsch's books and audio/video recordings can be purchased from Claretian Teaching Ministry, 20610 Manhattan Pl, #120, Torrance, CA 90501-1863. Phone 1-310-782-6408 or www.Catholicbooks.net
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About the Author
The Rev. John H. Hampsch, C.M.F., ordained as a Catholic priest in 1952, is a member of the Claretian Missionaries, and is founder and director of the Claretian Teaching Ministry. Listed in Who’s Who in Religion in America, he has served as parish priest, seminary professor and rector, college professor, lecturer, magazine writer, newspaper columnist, editor, retreat master, hospital chaplain, prison chaplain, campus chaplain, Cursillo director and director of suicide prevention programs in Texas and California.
He earned degrees in philosophy from Loyola-Marymount University in Los Angeles and from Notre Dame University, with postgraduate work at the University of Southern California and the Dominican House of Studies in River Forest, Illinois, in ascetical and mystical theology.
Find his many books and audio/visual recordings at www.Catholicbooks.net
