The following is a small extract from that conversation:

“At the World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Pope Francis repeatedly declared: “God is real. He manifests himself today. God is everywhere.” These are phrases that echo the Ignatian expression “to seek and find God in all things.” So I ask the pope: “How do you seek and find God in all things?”

“What I said in Rio referred to the time in which we seek God,” he answers. “In fact, there is a temptation to seek God in the past or in a possible future. God is certainly in the past because we can see the footprints. And God is also in the future as a promise. But the ‘concrete’ God, so to speak, is today.”

Reading this, I was reminded of one of the most famous pieces of advice on how to lead our lives: it comes from St. Augustine of Hippo:

“TRUST the past to the mercy of God

The present to His love

The future to His providence”

(St. Augustine of Hippo)

These sage words of advice say quite clearly to me that God, Our Father in heaven, is a God of love and mercy – a God who will always take care of us, then, now and always, if we try to love Him in return, if we are truly sorry for the times we have offended him, and trust ourselves to His benevolence.

The Pope’s conversation, (as referred to by Father Jonathan), began by referring to the fact that we are all sinners.  Apart, that is, from Jesus and his Mother, Mary, it is true that we human beings – the rest of us – have all done – committed or omitted – things that have earned God’s displeasure.  Thus we do not deserve to be admitted as God’s friends to paradise, to live with Him in happiness through all eternity.  But, we believe God is merciful.  Firstly, he gave us his only Son as a means of redemption, and, secondly, if we are truly sorry for our sins, God will show us His mercy and forgiveness, thus showing us the promise of salvation, if we then try to do better and to love him, have faith in Him – especially when all of this is wrapped in hope.  John Bunyan put this beautifully:

“I would say to my soul, O my soul, this is not the place of despair; this is not the time to despair in. As long as mine eyes can find a promise in the Bible, as long as there is a moment left me of breath or life in this world, so long will I wait or look for mercy, so long will I fight against unbelief and despair.”  (John Bunyan (1628 – 1688))

So much for the past: as for the present, I think we can do no better than to ‘live’ and ‘breathe’ St Teresa of Avila’s Bookmark:

“Let nothing disturb you,

Let nothing frighten you,

All things are passing;

God alone is changeless.

Patience gains all things.

Who has God wants nothing.

God alone suffices.” 

None of us can ever comprehend the majesty and greatness of God – his infinite power – or the extent of his never-ending love for each one of us.  Once we begin to have faith and belief in a Father who loves us to this extent, then the words of Jesus (and many others who tell us not to worry) follow automatically.  Jesus said:

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”  (Matthew 6:25, 26)

When we look to the future, only God knows all that is still to come.  We do not know what is going to happen, in the next minute, the next hour, or the next day – let alone next year, a thousand, or even a million years from now.  Time expressed in such terms is a frightening prospect and so, in my humble opinion, it is better left to Him.  Certainly, it is of no use, no value at all, for us to concern ourselves with it.  We cannot influence it, cannot change it, for better or worse, only accept what comes – though we can trust in the goodness and love of God.

That latter thought is the saving grace, I think, for we must leave the future to God and his benevolence.  This means belief in him and hope that he will always help us in good times and in bad, and as I write these words, the thought crosses my mind as to how those who do not believe in a benevolent God, manage to go about their lives, without the reassurance of God’s presence and love.  The thought of a future without God’s help would surely drive one to depression and despair.  The future, with our God who loves us, gives us cause always for hope, and a belief that we can continue to cope.

“He giveth more grace when the burdens grow greater,

He sendeth more strength when the labors increase;

To added affliction he addeth his mercy,

To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.”

Annie Johnson Flint (1862-1932)

(An American poet and hymn composer who led a life of heartbreak and triumph, but who viewed all life from an eternal perspective)

Socius