Today's Pause+Pray addresses anger directed at God. ✝️
March 18, 2024
Hello John,
As holy week approaches, I often try to meditate on the life of St. Francis of Assisi, who held the season of Lent in high esteem. Today I am reminded of the moment when…
Francis embraced the leper. The road to conversion is never an easy one to travel, but St. Francis of Assisi didn't choose an easy life. When he dismounted his horse to greet a leper on the side of a road, what once repulsed him had become, in that holy moment, a source of great comfort. “When I had once become acquainted with them, what had previously nauseated me became a source of physical consolation for me,” he wrote. “After that I did not wait long before leaving the world.”
At Franciscan Media, every piece of content we create is designed to bring you closer to God and to give your spirit a lift. Lent affords us a yearly opportunity to climb down off our horses and embrace conversion.
Will you consider a gift to Franciscan Media to inspire others on their road to conversion? Your gift will produce new resources for Lent and beyond. Donate today!
The crises that the Church faces today may seem minor when compared with the threat posed by the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ and almost overcame Christianity in the fourth century. Cyril was to be caught up in the controversy, accused of Arianism by Saint Jerome, and ultimately vindicated both by the men of his own time and by being declared a Doctor of the Church in 1822.
Raised in Jerusalem and well-educated, especially in the Scriptures, he was ordained a priest by the bishop of Jerusalem and given the task during Lent of catechizing those preparing for Baptism and catechizing the newly baptized during the Easter season. His Catecheses remain valuable as examples of the ritual and theology of the Church in the mid-fourth century.
There are conflicting reports about the circumstances of his becoming bishop of Jerusalem. It is certain that he was validly consecrated by bishops of the province. Since one of them was an Arian, Acacius, it may have been expected that his “cooperation” would follow. Conflict soon rose between Cyril and Acacius, bishop of the rival nearby see of Caesarea. Cyril was summoned to a council, accused of insubordination and of selling Church property to relieve the poor. Probably, however, a theological difference was also involved. He was condemned, driven from Jerusalem, and later vindicated, not without some association with and help from Semi-Arians. Half his episcopate was spent in exile; his first experience was repeated twice. He finally returned to find Jerusalem torn with heresy, schism and strife, and wracked with crime. Even Saint Gregory of Nyssa, who was sent to help, left in despair.
They both went to the Council of Constantinople, where the amended form of the Nicene Creed was promulgated in 381. Cyril accepted the word consubstantial—that is, Christ is of the same substance or nature as the Father. Some said it was an act of repentance, but the bishops of the Council praised him as a champion of orthodoxy against the Arians. Though not friendly with the greatest defender of orthodoxy against the Arians, Cyril may be counted among those whom Athanasius called “brothers, who mean what we mean, and differ only about the word consubstantial.”
Reflection
Those who imagine that the lives of saints are simple and placid, untouched by the vulgar breath of controversy, are rudely shocked by history. Yet, it should be no surprise that saints, indeed all Christians, will experience the same difficulties as their Master. The definition of truth is an endless, complex pursuit, and good men and women have suffered the pain of both controversy and error. Intellectual, emotional, and political roadblocks may slow up people like Cyril for a time. But their lives taken as a whole are monuments to honesty and courage.
Much has been written on the last words of Jesus, the traditional phrases taken from Scripture that depict the final moments of Jesus’ life as he dies on the cross. Yet interlaced with suffering, the focus throughout this powerful book is on the immense love of God for human beings, shown in the gift of Jesus!
When it comes to past sins, I have the regret part down. Self-reflection? Exhausting, but essential. Chronic sinners like me should take comfort in knowing that we have a forgiving God: No sin can keep us from grace if we are truly sorry and granted forgiveness. If we are made in God’s image, then there is far more room in our souls for salvation than there is for sin.
God knows our flaws and loves us in spite of them. We are not irredeemable. To believe otherwise is the real sin.
—from St. Anthony Messenger‘s “I Am a Sinner“ by Christopher Heffron
Through time, a universal pattern can be found in all societies, spiritualities, and philosophies. We see it in the changing seasons, the stories of Scripture in the Bible, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the rise and fall of civilizations, and even personally in our lives.
Father Richard Rohr clearly illuminates how understanding and embracing this pattern can give us hope in difficult times and the courage to push through disorganization and even great chaos to find a new way of being in the world.
Sometimes I get angry with God. I used to feel that this was bad but took comfort from the likes of David (“How long, oh Lord?”), Job, even Jesus (“Why have you forsaken me?”). There is much about life that I don’t understand, especially bad things happening to good people. My tendency when angry is to withdraw, and so I have had to learn to take my anger to God.
Pray
Lord, when I get angry with you I do not want to withdraw into sullen silence. I know I need to bring my anger to you. May I see you as a loving parent who might not agree with his child’s anger, but would want to hear about it. In my humanness, I struggle to understand. Rather than feel guilty about my anger nurture my understanding of it, and in dialogue with you, share it so that I can heal.
Act
Take notice of how you deal with anger. If you find yourself angry with God take out your journal and write an angry letter. God will be listening.
Today's Pause+Pray was written by Richard B. Patterson, PhD. Learn more here!
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