Abandonment to Divine Providence

The more we accept and trust in divine providence, the more the Lord will manifest his goodness and wisdom.

Of all the ways in which we are called to respond to grace, this one may be the toughest. It goes against our human nature when things and people contradict our expectations, when there is injustice and suffering, when God seems to have abandoned us and nothing seems to make sense. It takes a certain level of spiritual maturity and intimacy with God to surrender to divine providence. This includes the abiding faith and trust that everything is under God's control. That nothing happens without his permissive will.

Jesus tells us, "Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your father's knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid: you are worth more than many sparrows (Mt 10:29-31)."

And if God allows it to happen then he intends to bring about a greater good. This is clearly evident in God allowing his only begotten Son to become man and to suffer and die so that we may have eternal life. Everything and everyone now participates in the Paschal Mystery, which is the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, through which we have attained eternal life.

As a result, suffering is no longer pointless or pure evil, but has acquired value and meaning. When we suffer, we have the opportunity to unite our suffering with Christ's and participate in his work of redemption. 

St. Paul tells us, "We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose (Rom 8:28)."

Because God loves us, he gives us freewill. This means that people can choose evil and sin. But in his providence and goodness, God can bring about a greater good even from choices that are evil and sinful. "Where sin abounds, grace abounds even more (Rom 5:20)." When we are in the midst of experiencing a tragedy or suffering, it is difficult to see or comprehend how any good can come out of it. But often times, in retrospect, we can find the good that resulted from the suffering. 

One value of suffering is that it is expiatory. It can make up for our sins. Although our sins are forgiven through the sacrament of reconciliation, there is still the temporal punishment due to sin. God is merciful but he is also just. Justice requires that the offender pay for the damage caused to the offended. Temporal punishment gives us an opportunity to make right the harm that we caused to God's created order. So suffering is a way for us to make up for the harm we caused by our sins. But we must try to accept the suffering and bear it patiently, uniting it to the suffering of Christ and offering it up in reparation for our sins. By doing this, we reduce our time in purgatory, which is where we are purified and pay our debt to God for the damage done..   

At the same time, suffering purifies us and helps us to grow in virtue. It is often the case that when we experience suffering, that we turn to God. Suffering brings us closer to the Lord when we turn to him in our need and in our prayer. It is then that we come to know God and grow in humility, faith, hope and patience. Suffering also makes us more compassionate. We learn to empathize with others who suffer. Suffering can also make us more grateful for the things we do have. We become more sensitive and aware and may be converted to a deeper and holier way of life. Suffering has a way of conforming us to the likeness of Christ. 

Suffering also allows us to participate in God's work of redemption. As we unite our suffering with that of Jesus and conform ourselves to him, we also participate in his redemptive work. Suffering may be offered in conjunction with prayer for the conversion and the salvation of others. St. Paul tell us, "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church (Col 1:24)." Those who are closest to Christ are often given the privilege of sharing in his redemptive work.

Know that God gives us the grace needed to endure whatever suffering he allows to come our way. Three times St. Paul asked the Lord to remove the thorn in his flesh, but the Lord said to him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness (2Cor 12:9)." When we are willing to endure suffering out of love for God and for his glory, we are given the necessary grace so that God's power is made manifest. The saints understood the value of suffering. For example, St. Therese of Lisieux writes, 

"Much later, when I understood what perfection was, I realised that to become a saint one must suffer a great deal, always seek what is best, and forget oneself. I understood that there were many kinds of sanctity and that each soul was free to respond to the approaches of Our Lord and to do little or much for Him — in other words, to make a choice among the sacrifices He demands. Then, just as when I was a child, I cried: “My God, I choose all. I do not want to be a saint by halves. I am not afraid to suffer for You. I fear only one thing — that I should keep my own will. So take it, for I choose all that You will.” 

As we know, the Blessed Virgin Mary suffered a great deal. Yet she abandoned herself completely to Divine Providence, accepting all the pain and hardships that went along with her role as the mother of the Redeemer. She had faith in God and his plans of salvation. She accepted that the sword would pierce her heart and that Jesus would have to suffer and die. Mary never questioned the circumstances and the unfolding of the divine plan in her life, but surrendered everything to the Lord, knowing that all would work out according to his providence. 

Mother Teresa shared this abandonment to divine providence in her quote:

"Total surrender to God must come in small details as it comes in big details. It's nothing but that single word, 'Yes I accept whatever you give, and I give whatever you take.' And this is just a simple way for us to be holy. We must not create difficulties in our minds. To be holy doesn't mean to do extraordinary things, to understand big things, but it is a simple acceptance, because I have given myself to God, because I belong to him - my total surrender."

Let us imitate our Blessed Mother and the saints in surrendering and abandoning ourselves completely to divine providence. Knowing that nothing happens without God's permissive will and that he only permits evil to bring about a greater good. And the more we abandon to divine providence, the more graces we will receive and the more we will grow in sanctity.