April 30, 2005

Prefer nothing to the love of Christ Jn 15:18-21

Jesus said to his disciples: "If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me."
The life of a disciple of Jesus will never be without trials and persecution. If my eyes are set on heaven and not the worldly things, it will not be a hardship to be challenged and tried by the world.

The readings in the Rule of St Benedict are to chapter 72 today, the chapter about good zeal. St. Benedict wisely said "prefer nothing to the love of Christ." I think that when my heart is in the right place some of the daily events that would have seemed like trials or challenges are just not that wearing or heavy a burden. With the love of Christ as a yoke there is no burden that is too much to bear. It seems that trials and hardships are lighter because me heart is lighter, less troubled even when the hardships are actually more they just do not seem like it through the eyes of faith.