Jordan Paul

The way to keep it is patience; hence, he says, ‘for patience is necessary for you.’ For just as meekness moderates anger, so patience puts a limit to sadness, so that it will not exceed the bounds of reason. But sadness is sometimes caused by evils inflicted or by goods deferred: hope that is deferred, afflicts the soul. But it is properly called patience when it is concerned with the first; but long-suffering, when it is concerned with the second. Here, however, patience stands for both: not only for enduring evil, but for long-suffering in the face of good things deferred. He says, therefore, that in regard to both, patience is necessary for us: the patient man is better than the valiant; in your patience you shall possess your souls; patience has a perfect work.
—St Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews

Friends,

In today’s reading from St. Paul’s Epistle to the Hebrews, he reminds his audience of the hardships that they faced in the aftermath of their baptisms.

He reminds them of the compassion and joy that they found in the midst of such hardships and implores them not to retreat from the gospel or fall back into their old ways.

Writing on this passage, St. Thomas Aquinas said that “patience puts a limit to sadness” and “in your patience you shall possess your souls.”

It’s hard not to look around and see mostly sadness, anger, and hardships. And I’m certainly not the one to pitch a false or toxic positivity about the state of our world. Neither, though, do I think that our faith permits us to wallow in the sadness or despair that we may pick up on.

I think we must labor in the world to make the love of God known, to perform corporal and spiritual works of mercy, and to prevent ourselves from being conformed to the darkness that we see all too often in the world.

As both St. Paul and St. Thomas wrote, patience is the key. Patience—and hope—that one day, the work will no longer be necessary and that God will wipe every tear from every eye.

In sure and certain hope of the resurrection,

—Jordan