To trust in God, by Pope Pius XII

What does it mean to trust in God?

Trust in God means the abandonment of oneself, with all the forces of the will sustained by grace and love, in spite of all the doubts suggested by appearances to the contrary, to the wisdom, the infinite love of God. It means believing that nothing in this world escapes His Providence, whether in the universal or in the particular order; that nothing great or small happens which is not foreseen, willed or permitted, directed always by Providence to its exalted ends, which in this world are always inspired by love for men.

It means believing that God can permit, at times here below, for some time, pre-eminence of atheism and of impiety, the lamentable obscuring of a sense of justice, the violation of law, the tormenting of innocent, peaceful, undefended, helpless men. It means believing that God at times thus lets trials befall individuals and peoples, trials of which the malice of men is the instrument in a design of justice directed towards the punishment of sin, towards purifying persons and peoples through the expiations of this present life and bringing them back by this way to Himself; but it means believing at the same time that this justice always remains here below the justice of a Father inspired and dominated by love.

However severe may seem the Hand of the Divine Surgeon when he cuts with the lancet into the live flesh, it is always an active love that guides and drives it in, and only the good of men and peoples makes Him intervene in such a painful way.

It means, finally, believing that the fierce intensity of the trial, like the triumph of evil, will endure here below for only a fixed time and not longer; that the hour of God will come, the hour of mercy, the hour of holy rejoicing, the hour of the new canticle of liberation, the hour of exultation and of joy, the hour in which, after having let the hurricane loose for a moment upon humanity, the all-powerful Hand of the Heavenly Father, with an imperceptible motion, will detain it and disperse it, and, by ways little known to the mind or to the hopes of men, justice, calm and peace will be restored to the nations.

We know well that the most serious difficulty for those who have not a correct sense of the Divine comes from seeing so many innocent victims involved in suffering by the same tempest which overwhelms sinners. Men never remain indifferent when the hurricane which tears up the great trees also cuts down the lowly little flowers which opened at their feet only to lavish the grace of their beauty and fragrance on the air around them. And yet these flowers and their perfumes are the work of God and of His wonderful designing. If he has allowed any of these flowers to be swept away in the storm, can He not, do you think, have assigned a goal unseen by the human eye for the sacrifice of that most unoffending creature in the general arrangement of the law by which He prevails over and governs nature? How much more, then, will His omnipotence and love direct the lot of pure and innocent human beings to good.

Through the languishing of faith in men's hearts, through the pleasure-seeking that moulds and captivates their lives, men are driven to judge as evil, and as unmixed evil, all the physical mishaps of this earth. They have forgotten that suffering stands at the threshold of life as the way that leads to the smiles of the cradle. They have forgotten that it is more often than not the shadow of the Cross of Calvary thrown on the path of the Resurrection; they have forgotten that the cross is frequently a gift of God, a gift which is needed in order to offer to the Divine Justice our share of expiation. They have forgotten that the only real evil is the sin that offends God. They have forgotten what the Apostle says: "The sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come that will be revealed in us", that we ought to look on "the Author and Finisher of Faith, Jesus, Who for the joy set before Him, endured a cross.".

Do you, too, dear children, look upon your sufferings thus, and you will find the strength not merely to accept them with resignation, but to love them, to glory in them as the Apostles and saints. . . .

Look upon your sufferings and difficulties in the light of the sufferings of the Crucified, in the light of the sufferings of the Blessed Virgin, the most innocent of creatures and the most intimate sharer in the Passion of Our Lord, and you will be able to understand that to be like the Exemplar, the Son of God, King of Sufferings, is the noblest and safest way to Heaven and victory.

Guide For Living, Radio address on "Divine Providence in Human Events", June 29, 1941

Confidence in the Providence of God - Cardinal Bacci

Confidence in the Providence of God

1. Sometimes we grow discouraged and lose confidence in God. This may be the result of sickness, or of misfortune, or of misunderstanding on the part of others. At any rate, on such occasions we may feel as if we have been forgotten by God.

Jesus Christ willed to endure a trial of this nature when He was hanging upon the Cross, derided and jeered at by those whom He had come to redeem. “My God, my God,” He cried, “why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mt. 27:46) In the Garden of Gethsemane, however, He had already seen in a terrifying vision the sins and acts of ingratitude of the human race. He had begged His Father to take away from Him the chalice of suffering which had been offered to Him, but He had added immediately: “Yet not my will but thine be done.” (Luke 22:62)

We must behave in the same manner. Whether it is a physical or moral anguish which torments us, we must gaze upon the Crucifix and remember that Jesus suffered much more in obedience to the will of His Heavenly Father. We must never lack confidence in Divine Providence and resignation to the will of God. In the mysterious designs of God for us, this evil which we experience is intended for our own good. It may have been sent to ennoble us or to purify us or to give us an opportunity of making reparation for our sins.

God has endowed suffering with a very purposeful mission in the world. It should have the effect of making us detached from earthly things and more preoccupied with spiritual matters. Let us trust in God, then, and remember the words of the Holy Spirit: “Has anyone hoped in the Lord and been disappointed?” (Ecclus. 2:10)

2. An excessive preoccupation with worldly affairs may often be responsible for our lack of perfect confidence in God. We worry about tomorrow, and about our many material needs. But Jesus has warned us about this. “Do not be anxious for your life,” He said, “what you shall eat; nor yet for your body, what you shall put on… Look at the birds of the air: they do not sow, or reap, or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of much more value than they?... Consider how the lilies of the field grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory was arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which flourishes today but tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more you, O you of little faith! Therefore do not be anxious… But seek first the kingdom of God and his justice, and all these things shall be given you besides. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow; for tomorrow will have anxieties of its own. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Cf. Mt. 6:25-34) “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s leave. But as for you, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Therefore do not be afraid.” (Cf. Mt. 10: 29-31)

3. God does not forbid us, naturally, to work and to provide for the future. But He condemns such immoderate anxiety as would tend to distract our attention from our spiritual obligations. We should be occupied, certainly, but never preoccupied. We should always have perfect confidence in God and resignation to His will.

Divine Providence - Cardinal Bacci

Divine Providence

1. The Book of Wisdom speaks to us of Divine Providence. “Your providence, O Father, guides… (Wisdom 14:3) You love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made; for what you hated, you would not have fashioned (Wisdom 11:24). God . . . is the guide of Wisdom and the director of the wise. For both we and our words are in his hand…” (Wisdom 7:16). Wisdom “reaches from end to end mightily and governs all things well.” (Wisdom 8:1) The Lord of all shows no partiality… because he himself made the great as well as the small, and he provides for all alike. (Wisdom 6:8) You have disposed all things by measure and number and weight.” (Wisdom 11:21)

We have only to look around us and to think about ourselves in order to understand the truth of these words from Sacred Scripture. We need only consider a few of the outstanding elements in the universe – the sun which rises and sets with such perfect regularity and the myriads of the stars, clusters of planets and solar systems, ranging the vast spaces of the firmament. Then there are the smaller objects of creation which nonetheless proclaim the greatness of Divine Providence – from the invisibly tiny insects, each with its own independent existence, to the flowers which draw their nourishment from the earth and the birds for whose sustenance God provides all that is necessary.

Lastly, there is the human body, that masterpiece of harmony. The eyes, ears, and other organs display in a marvellous manner the wisdom of their Creator. The soul, too, is the living image of God. It transcends the limits of space and time by the speed of its thought, continually discovers new secrets of the universe by means of its intellectual power, and is capable of willing, commanding and loving.

When confronted with so much order and beauty and goodness, we can only bow down and adore the Providence of God.

2. How can we reconcile with this concept of Divine Providence the confusion and injustice which also exist in the world? Why does God sometimes permit the evil to prosper and the good to be oppressed? Why does He not crush iniquity as soon as it raises its head, instead of allowing the wicked to enjoy the pleasures of this earth while the good are suffering?

The designs of God are hidden and mysterious, but it is certain that He arranges everything justly and for the best. God never hurries, for He contemplates all creatures and events in the light of eternity. The devil may hurry, “knowing that he has but a short time,” (Apoc. 12:12) but God is the master of time.

God waits for men at the last threshold of life in order to do justice to them all. His patience and mercy endure until the final moment of death, because He has said: “I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” (Cf. Ez. 33:11) This is the mystery of God’s mercy.

St. Augustine offers another explanation as to why evil men often seem to be happy and victorious in this world. His suggestion is quite frightening. Even the worst of men, he says, do a certain amount of good during life. Nevertheless, if they die unrepentant, they will be punished for all eternity. Therefore the justice of God concedes to them a small reward in this life for any good which they may have accomplished.

3. How foolish it is for the sinner to exult and to sink into complacency. For all he knows, he may be already abandoned by God because the measure of God’s mercy to him has been exhausted.

Those who are leading good lives may have to endure a great deal, but “blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted,” and “blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice’s sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Cf. Mt. 5:10)

Even in the moral order Divine Providence stands out quite clearly, being infinitely good to the just and merciful to sinners, but severely condemning all sinfulness. Let us meditate on the wonders of Providence and regulate our lives in accordance with its designs.