Our faith does not rest so much on overcoming weaknesses, but rather on the fact that even in the midst of suffering we cling to the will of the One who suffers out of love for us. We must rid ourselves of the bad habit of contemplating our dark sides instead of the transforming light of the Son, who can turn our dust into pure gold. Too often we stop and dissect ourselves instead of immersing ourselves in the purifying furnace of the Most Sacred Heart, which opens to us with a single act of trust in its love. We too easily believe in our wretchedness, and not enough in God's merciful love. We must learn to use our insignificance, our failures, our inadequacies, and even our sins, and turn them into reasons for trust. Once we learn to transform such things into bold self-sacrifice, the impossible will become possible for us – just as it did for the penitent thief, for Saints Peter and Paul, and for all the poor, weak, and sinful throughout history.
(Mary David Totah, OSB /1957–2017/, Joy of God)
