Saint Theophan the Recluse
Sorrows on earth are more than joys.
And as the second ones are sent from God, so are the first ones. For several reasons.
Sometimes to get out of the mental hybernation. Sometimes to quit a sin. Sometimes to be purified through repentance. Sometimes to reveal our devotion to the Lord.
We, however, in all cases have to be brave and patient, both for the glory of God and for our spiritual progress.
So, for one of the above reasons, God has given you sorrows.
Take care of yourself and do not resist the divine will.
On the contrary, have confidence in the wise and good decisions of the Lord.
Show patience in sorrows.
It is not easy to suffer patiently and calmly every sorrow, especially when it is a heavy one.
But the weight is great at the time of the disaster and for a while after that.
Then, little by little, it becomes lighter. Time, you see, is the best doctor.
It makes pain go away, dries the tears, brings oblivion, brings life back to its normal pace…
This is going to happen with your loss too.
Hang in there, and your sorrow will heal.
In the meantime, secure inside you the conviction that everything is granted by the Lord.
He is only interested in one thing: our salvation.
And for this purpose He uses all convenient means, even, from time to time, the hardest ones.
So, whatever God sends, accept it as a beneficial medicine. Nothing happens without a reason, everything is regulated by divine providence.
Therefore, whenever you feel depressed, think of it as a kind of a visit, a reminder, a warning from God for your mistakes.
Thank Him and correct yourselves.
To the righteous, sorrows are sent as trials – so it was with the blessed Job of the Old Testament.
However, to us, the sinners, sorrows are sent as punishments and as stimuli for repentance.
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Do you carry heavy sorrows? I’m sorry about that and I sympathize with you.
There is no other help except patience and hope in the mercy of God. Everything comes or is given from God.
And we have to thank Him for everything, not only for the pleasant things, but also for the unpleasant ones.
For they also serve our purpose: to purify, to acquire and secure good habits, to the memory and invocation of the Lord.
So, do not moan.
Be patient in the dark days. Bright ones will also come.
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Sorrows, sorrows, sorrows… One after the other!
Accept them with generosity and patience.
They are salutary medicines for your soul’s illnesses, a sign that God is interested in you.
Thank Him!
And make sure you get better.
Do not neutralize the therapeutic effect of these medications with murmuring.
