What are we to do when all is dark? We are to pray, be patient and trust God.
According to Vatican Radio, Pope Francis gave this practical advice during his daily morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta today, June 9, 2017.
The Pope drew inspiration from today’s first reading from the Book of Tobit, which tells the story of a father-in-law and a daughter-in-law. Tobit, the father of Tobiah who became blind, and Sarah, Tobiah’s wife, accused in the past of being responsible for the death of some men.
The passage, the Jesuit Pope stressed, demonstrates one’s understanding of how the Lord carries forward the “history” and “the life of persons, including ours.”
After both Tobit and Sarah had some very bad times, Francis recalled that both of them thought “it’s better to die.”
“We’ve all been through bad times, though not as bad as this,” he said, “but we know how its feels in times of darkness, in moments of pain, in times of difficulty, we know. But then Sara thinks, ‘If I hang myself, I will make my parents suffer.’ So she stops and prays. And Tobit says, ‘But this is my life, let’s go ahead’ and he prays.”
“This is the attitude that saves us in bad times,– prayer,” the Pope said. “Patience – because both of them are patient with their pains. And hope – that God will listen to us and help us tide over these bad moments. In moments of sadness, little or much, in moments of darkness, prayer, patience and hope.!
“Do not forget this,” he stressed.
After the test, the Pope said, the Lord comes close to them and saves them.
“But there are some beautiful and authentic moments, not with beautiful makeup that everything is artificial, all fireworks which is not the beauty of the soul. And what do both of them do in the beautiful moments? They thank God, broadening their hearts with prayers of thanksgiving.”
The Holy Father asked those present to recall whether they could recognize what was taking place in their souls at different points of their lives, and whether they realized that their ‘crosses’ were times when prayer and patience were more than ever necessary.
We must remember “the Lord is always there,” Francis said, noting we therefore should turn “to Him in prayer” and thank Him for the joy that He has given us.
The Holy Father reminded that Sarah, through discernment, realized that she should not end up hanging herself. Tobit likewise, the Pope said, realized that he had to “wait, in prayer and in hope for the Lord’s salvation.”
Pope Francis concluded, saying: “While reading this Book this weekend, let us ask for grace of discerning what happens in the bad times of our lives and how to go on and what happens in the beautiful moments and not be misled by vanity.”
