Sunday Reflections

When heaven’s rewards are doled out, you and I will be stunned to see the vast and endless gains it won us. The Bible says our light and momentary affliction is accruing for us an eternal gain that far outweighs the inconvenience of earth’s hardships. Compared to heaven? Our worst earthly pains will seem like a mere nuisance. When we stand amazed at the mountain of joy and pleasures which our response to suffering won us, we will smack our foreheads, lamenting, “Why, oh, why did I not trust God more?!” St. Sebastian, centuries ago, wisely observed, “When it is all over you will not regret having suffered; rather you will regret having suffered so little, and suffered that little so badly.” It seems impossible to grasp that when you are feeling demoralized by deep trials, but with God, all things are possible. So today, I am praying that you and I do not suffer badly; but that we suffer gladly.