Trusting GOD in the PRESENTFR.JACQUESPHILIPPE ®
Copyright © 2022 Jacques Philippe Interior Freedom was originally published as La liberté interieure, copyright © 2002, Editions des Beatitudes, S.C.C., Burtin, France. The English version is copyright © 2007, Scepter Publishers, Inc. Real Mercy is copyright © 2016, Editions des Beatitudes, S.O.C., Burtin, France. The English version is copyright © 2016, Scepter Publishers, Inc. The Way of Trust and Love was originally published as La voie de la confiance et de l’amour, copyright © 2011, Editions des Beatitudes, S.C.C., Burtin, France. The English version is copyright © 2011, Scepter Publishers, Inc. Compiled and published by The Word Among Us Press 7115 Guilford Drive, Suite 100 Frederick, Maryland 21704 26 25 24 23 22 1 2 3 4 5 ISBN: eISBN:978-1-59325-704-0978-1-59325-705-7
Scripture texts used in this work are taken from The Catholic Edition of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1965 and 1966 by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States. All rights reserved. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Design by Suzanne Earl No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the author and publisher. Library of Congress Control Number: 2022915833
CONTENTS Preface ....................................... 5 Chapter One HOPE DOES NOT DISAPPOINT ........ 7 Chapter Two ENDURING TRIALS ..................... 11 Chapter Three OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD TRIALS .. 21 Chapter Four GOD’S SPECIFIC CALL ................. 32 Chapter Five MERCY AND FORGIVENESS ........... 39 Notes ........................................ 51 Books by Fr. Jacques Philippe ........... 53
Over the past few years, we have all been shaken up in many ways. The Covid crisis, economic and political uncertainties, the war in Ukraine, difficulties in the Church— there is no shortage of things to worry and be concerned about.
It’s not easy to live in this time of uncertainty and instability. We can be tempted to fear, to make hasty speculations about the future, to close ourselves in within circles of like-minded people, or to be satisfied with a self-centered individualism that only seeks to get the most out of life. These difficult times can, however, become times of grace. First, they can push us to make a stronger commitment to God, who is the only stable reality on whom we can rely. Faith that is just a cultural or social habit is no longer enough today; we need a faith that is a radical personal decision for God that will allow us to discover the light and the strength we need to face the challenges of today. This decision for God must be expressed by a renewed commitment to prayer, by our faith fulness to ecclesial communion, and by our determination to live, not according to the wisdom of the world, but according to the wisdom of the gospel. It is by uniting ourselves to God that we will find peace of heart. This peace can be difficult to maintain, but it is essential
Preface
5
We need a burst of faith, of trust, and of surrendering our lives to God. Even in the most unfavorable situations, God is there. He does not abandon us, but he comes closer to us. He can bring good out of everything, and he always invites us to do something good in the service of his Kingdom and the world. It is not by focusing on what is going wrong and liv ing with spite, bitterness, and accusation that we will advance and solve the problems of the world and of the Church.
TRUSTING GOD IN THE PRESENT 6 for us to escape the worried restlessness and the fears that too often seep in and undermine our strength and prevent our discernment. It is through trust and peace that we can allow God to lead us and act in our lives, and that we will have the grace to discern the choices that will be good for us and for others.
It is by keeping peace, hope, and trust in the faithfulness of God that I will discover and be able to accomplish with joy the good that is always possible to achieve—this good that the Lord entrusts to me and that no one can do for me. We must be clear about the evils that affect our world, but we must also know that it is more fruitful to use our time to do good than to condemn evil.
I thank The Word Among Us for publishing this booklet in which some reflections from my books have been collected, and I sincerely hope that it can encourage readers to unite themselves even more strongly to God in love and trust. May he help each one, according to his or her call, to discern and carry out with joy “the good works, which God has prepared beforehand” (to speak like St. Paul to the Ephesians [2:10]) and to hasten thus the coming of his Kingdom.
HOPE DOES DISAPPOINTNOT
There are times in every person’s life when we find our selves in situations of trial and difficulty, either affecting us or someone we love. There is nothing we can do. However much we turn things over and examine them from every angle, there is no solution. The feeling of being helpless and powerless is a painful trial, especially when it concerns someone close to us: to see someone we love who is hurting and not be able to help is one of the bitterest sufferings there is. Many parents experience it.
When children are small, there is always a way of interven ing and helping them. When children are older and no longer heed advice, it can be terrible for parents to see their sons or daughters turning to drugs or engaging in destructive roman tic relationships. As much as they want to help, they can’t. At such times, we should tell ourselves that even if we apparently
7 Chapter One
“ when, externally, there is nothing to be done, we still have inner freedom to continue to love.
Even
have no way of intervening, we can, despite everything, con tinue to believe, hope, and love. We can believe that God will not abandon our child and that our prayer will bear fruit in due course. We can hope in the Lord’s faithfulness and power for everything. We can love by continuing to carry that person in our heart and prayer, forgiving them and forgiving the wrong done to them; and expressing love in every way available to us, including trust, self-aban donment, and forgiveness. The more devoid of means our love is, the purer and greater it is. Even when, externally, there is nothing to be done, we still have inner freedom to continue to love. No circumstance, however tragic, can rob us of that.
Hope Does Not Disappoint
9
For us, this should be a liberating and consoling certainty amidst the trial of powerlessness. Even if we can do nothing, as long as we believe, hope, and love, something is happening, and the fruits will appear sooner or later, in the time of God’s mercy. Love, though bereft of means and apparently powerless, is always fruitful. It cannot be otherwise, because it is a participation in the being and life of God. “Hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:5).
How to Use This Booklet
Consider this booklet your spiritual direction manual to trusting God in the midst of difficult times. In the pages that follow, you will find commentaries and tips that will help give you
May this journey of trusting God in the present lead you to discover (or rediscover) that the Lord was, and is, and always will be with you.
10 a new perspective, renewed hope, and a more abundant life. You’ll find that God is, indeed, with you, and he is inviting you into a deeper experience of his love.
Whether you read this booklet individually or in a small group, invite the Holy Spirit to be with you. As you read, take some time to write in the margins and reflect on the questions in the text. At the end of each chapter, reflection questions are provided to help you engage more deeply with the text and discover God’s direction for you.
TRUSTING GOD IN THE PRESENT