'Why Try?' A Spiritual Reflection

“Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 And He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the gentle, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” (Mt. 5, 1-6)

Sometimes life feels like walking uphill. There are times when the burden is so big that leads to doubt ourselves: "I can't do it anymore," "what a way to waste time ...", "I'm not good for this ..." Self-criticism and regrets fill the heart. Sometimes doubts can be overwhelming. Why fight if everything is going to be the same? Why try to build something if, in the world, I am a tiny being, amid forces and structures that exceed me everywhere? Why see others as brothers? Why live with values ​​when they make me look like a fool? And I feel powerless, lost. Those are the times when we need to remember that we are God’s favorites. 

Sometimes we feel weak. We want to be a hero, and find ourselves limited. We want to love, and discover that we are impassive before others. We ask for tolerance, but we are harsh in our judgments. We want to have faith, and we find ourselves skeptical. We want a world where forgiveness is real, and it's so hard for us to forget offenses. In our moments of weakness, let’s remember that God loves us and ask our hearts be filled with hope.

Let us pray:

In the hours of doubt ... give me light

In the hours of fatigue ... give me strength

In the hours of fear ... give me courage

In the hours of pain ... give me peace

In the hours of oppression ... give me freedom

In the hours of hate ... give me respect

In the hours of discouragement ... give me hope

In difficult hours ... give me life.