At certain times in our lives we can often feel like a failure. Everything we do blows up in our face and leads us down the dark road of despair. What should we do?
St. Josemaria Escriva believes the key lies in asking the Holy Spirit for guidance and strength. Escriva writes in his homily titled “The Great Unknown” that a Christian is set free from despair when she recognizes her “divine filiation” — that she is a child of God, born of the Holy Spirit.
It is then, finally, that we Christians experience in our own life the sure strength of the Holy Spirit, in such a way that our own failures do not drag us down. Rather, they are an invitation to begin again and to continue being faithful witnesses of Christ in all the moments of our life — in spite of our own personal weaknesses, which, in such a case, are normally no more than small failings that hardly perturb the soul. And even if they are grave sins, the sacrament of Penance, received with true sorrow, enables us to recover our peace with God and to become again a good witness of his mercy.
When we recognize our adoption into the family of God, we can rest in the peace of our Father’s loving arms. In a particular way, when our blunders appear insurmountable, we need to run to the sacrament of reconciliation to be cleansed of our many faults by the Divine Physician, who heals and binds our wounds.
It may appear to you that God could never love someone like you, but do not listen to that voice! God is a true and loving Father, greater than any earthly father we have ever known. He is ready to hug us close, hear our cries and wipe away our tears.
When we are at our lowest of lows, cry out to the Holy Spirit and ask him for strength to call out, “Abba, Father!”
We may feel like a failure, but when God looks at us, he only sees sons and daughters who have fallen. Let yourself be picked up by him and you will be on the path of renewal and regeneration.
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