EVEN IN ILLNESS ALL THINGS WORK FOR GOOD FOR THOSE WHO LOVE GOD

As Marius Suzanne was convalescing and recovering from his illness, Eugene encourages him with the invitation to turn his enforced rest into a time of spiritual concentration and growth. How much consolation do we seek and recognize in our own moments of tiredness and illness?

... You must be patient, your strength can only return little by little; seek some consolation from God in your condition at not being able to do all you would like for his glory.
Nothing will be lost if you put this enforced idleness to good account for the sake of your own perfection; you know how distracting your outside activities have been.

Letter to Marius Suzanne, 7 March 1827, EO VII n 264

 

“We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.”   Romans 8:28

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1 Response to EVEN IN ILLNESS ALL THINGS WORK FOR GOOD FOR THOSE WHO LOVE GOD

  1. Eleanor Rabnett, Oblate Associate says:

    It is only now after having read this a couple of times that I am reminded of the times I have used the phrase “…that God must be using this (sickness etc) to slow me down or to get my attention” How often at night when going to bed and feeling tired and even a little weary do I turn to God announcing that I am tired and want only to be within his embrace so that I might rest and sleep. Those very distracting activities that Eugene wrote to Marius Suzanne about have such a way of building up and blocking out all else that God makes use of whatever God can to get my attention, body and soul. Times of rest and even illness spent in God’s embrace.

    God makes use of our illnesses and tiredness, transforming them. Not being able to ‘do’ much of anything great or for his glory, it still becomes becomes that. My life is so very ordinary and common and yet even with this God transforms it all somehow into the extraordinary. It moves from me to God. And that should bring about a resplendent chorus of Alleluias.

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