Keep the faith throughout your struggles

Last Sunday was the beautification of Pope John Paul II. As I strolled into church, I noticed a portrait of our late pope occupying the area beside the seat of the celebrant. It brought back fond memories of my blessed time at the WYD in Toronto. The mysterious thing is that, looking at the portrait brought a sense of calm and tranquility to me. It is something that has eluded me in the busyness of daily life.


I pondered about how our late pope would start any day, any task or work with prayer and I envisioned myself doing the same, picturing this same experience of tranquility as I work through the week. This would be the reminder I needed to be aware that God is in charge of every day of my life. Beyond the struggles, the difficulties, He is in control and I need to work with Him to get through anything.


Mass began and Father shared about how we need to perservere in our faith throughout the daily struggles that we face. Struggles will continue to be a part of our lives and we need to keep the faith, for only in doing so will we experience growth. I think most of us are afraid of growth, because it takes us out of our comfort zone. I myself face that inertia all the time and I would rather keep the status quo than to act on something that would be the right and necessary thing to do. 


Everyday brings with it challenges that surprise us all the time but I realised that to keep the faith throughout our struggles would be impossible without including God in our lives. Somehow, all things work out well when we cooperate with Him. It is with this conviction that I set out to always include Him in my daily tasks this week, to seek Him first in all my plans and decisions.


Lord, help me to grow as I struggle through the challenges of life. Pray for us dear Papal father that we will strengthen our faith and draw people towards God as plough through what life throws at us.