The Cheerful Struggle

When I think about keeping going in that interior, daily struggle, it is really funny (and amazing) how often the Galaxy Quest motto goes through my head ... "Never give up. Never surrender." It's funny because it's true.

The Christian's daily struggle will generally be specific and will entail fighting on very minor matters. Fortitude will be necessary in order to fulfill with sincere effort our acts of piety towards God, without abandoning them no matter what presents itself during the course of the day, and so as not to let ourselves be carried away by our state of mind at the time. The way we live charity, overcoming sudden ill-temper, making an effort to be warm, good-natured and considerate towards others -- these will be important, as will our efforts to finish off the work we have offered to God, without skimping or taking any shortcuts, doing it as well as we possibly can and using the means to receive the formation we need...

There will be moments of victory and defeat, of falling and of rising again. We must always begin again ...; it is what God asks of all of us. The struggle demands a love that is vigilant and an effective desire to seek God throughout the day. This cheerful struggle is the exact opposite of lukewarmness, which is characterized by carelessness, a lack of interest in seeking God, laziness and sadness in fulfilling our obligations towards God and other people.

In Conversation With God Vol 4

Tags: Catholicism, Christianity