Sacred Heart #24

Do not look with fear
on the changes and chances of this life;
rather look to them with full faith that as they arise,
God -whose you are – will deliver you out of them
He has kept you hitherto.

Do not but hold fast to His dear hand,
and He will lead you safely through all things;
and when you cannot stand, He will bear you
in His arms,

Do not anticipate what will happen tomorrow.
The same everlasting Father who cares for you today
will take care of you tomorrow and every day.
Either He will shield you from suffering or
He will give you unfailing strength to bear it.

Be at peace, then, and put aside all anxious thoughts
and imaginations.

Saint Frances de Sales (1567 – 1622) was Bishop of Geneva and was noted for his sermons that urged ordinary people to pursue sanctity amid worldly responsibilities.

In an ideal childhood, we had a father to whom we could turn in times of hardship or sorrow. He would be the rock upon which we depended, the place of safety in which we sheltered. But earthly life is not perfect; for that we must seek further and deeper.

St. Francis de Sales says that kind of safety and support is only possible through God the Father. “… when you cannot stand, He will bear you in his arms.” With this Father, we can be a child again, having no fear or anxiety for the morrow. If we must endure suffering, the Father will give us the strength to bear it.

Consider how that peace of mind must feel – to know we are always loved and protected; never to worry about what new challenge tomorrow might bring. We can become like the lilies of the field.