When we fall,
let us rise
the situation to
our spiritual good,
repent with love
and continue on
in His Mercy
Jesus would not have found fault with their sympathy over His sufferings, their
realization of the horror of sin, or their repentance over their failure to support Him in
His hour of need. But these sentiments were obviously not theirs. They were angry - angry
at the Pharisees, the crowd, themselves and Jesus. They did not understand why He let it
all happen. They doubted His power, His love and His Divinity. They were full of
"spiritual hangovers." They had indulged in cowardice, they found it difficult
to accept the spiritual kingdom He preached. They did not pray lest they enter into
temptation. The effect of this kind of indulgence was anxiety, agitation and doubts. The
pall of fear fell upon them and the more they tried to shake it off, the worse their
tension became. The appearance of Jesus in their midst only added to their confusion, for
they thought He was a ghost. The question Jesus asked was such a shock, they could not
answer. They were so convinced they had every reason to lament, worry and grieve.
He had given them enough grace and they had seen enough proof of His Divinity not to
question the way He chose to redeem mankind. He expected them to trust His Wisdom, to see
the Father in every circumstance, to love the Father's Will more than themselves, their
ideals and personal gain. He came to do that will. He told them many times that the
accomplishment of that will would make them part of God's family. Why did they continue to
doubt? Perhaps we should ask ourselves that question.
If we believe in His Love, His Redemption, His Resurrection, His Spirit and His
Providence, why do we rebel, question and doubt? Why do we live in a state of confusion
and fear? Why don't we let God take all the debris of our yesterdays, bury them in His
Heart and watch them resurrect to give us joy, merit, peace and humility? Let us be
content with the realization that He brings good out of everything because He loves us.
Let us not place yesterday's Cross on top of today's, for Jesus assures us, "Each day
has enough trouble of its own." Matt. 6:34)
Perhaps the greatest cause of all our "spiritual hangovers" is our inability to
rise immediately after a fall and our tendency to react to situations rather than respond.
We must begin to see the work of the Spirit in our Individual lives rather than the
instruments He uses to change us! In our moment to moment, day to day living, the Spirit
uses, permits, ordains, arranges and rearranges circumstances, people, work and every
facet of our lives to purify and sanctify us. If we need patience, situations for
impatience will present themselves. If we have a temper, He will give many opportunities
to be gentle. In everything we can say "It is the Lord." When we fail, it is He
who inspires deep repentance in our souls. We should see His Presence in our
repentance, be reconciled with God and then go on living in that Awesome Love.
By seeing the hand of God working good for our souls in the present moment, we will
respond to that moment with love and humility. We will be able to control our reacting
emotions and prevent many "spiritual hangovers." When we fall, let us rise
immediately, turn the situation to our spiritual good, repent with love and continue on
with confidence in His Mercy and Goodness. Let us remember that if we see the Spirit at
work in our souls in the present moment, we will respond with love, but if we only see
ourselves we will react with uncontrolled emotions.