In this closing consideration of the week, where we have looked upon the death of Christ, and our own death; it is wise for us to continue to emphasize the virtue of humility, which enables the soul to make true progress. The consideration of death can be a literal reality check, and an invitation to humility; and God plays His part in the gradual unfolding of our prayer life. Because He so surpasses our categories and conceptions, we need the help of a virtue that might seem counterintuitive when considering becoming closer to God, but which actually makes a lot of sense. We need courage…great courage. If any of us could clearly see how much the Lord loves us, we would die. Ultimately we would die from joy, but a joy perhaps mixed with fear, because of the intensity. “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Heb 10:31
The best ways of overcoming this fear and developing a deep humility would be to persevere in prayer, most particularly when it is dry and feels pointless and hopeless; often to consider the Passion and Death of Our Lord; cultivate an intimate relationship with Our Lord, the Blessed Mother Mary, St. Joseph, our guardian Angel, and the Saints; daily recitation of the rosary; frequent reception of the sacraments of Confession and Communion; and perhaps most importantly, to develop a deep spirit of charity and forgiveness towards our neighbor. If we love the neighbor whom we can see, we can be more certain that we love God who dwells in our neighbor’s soul. If we arrive at this charity to our neighbor, the humility of seeing ourselves as we are before God, and the courage to persevere, we will come to a more vivid experience of the Lord’s great love for us, and thus be transformed in love even before our death. May He be praised forever.
