Themes of forbearance and patient endurance were at the center of The Word Exposed’s Advent Recollection, delivered by Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, last Saturday evening, December 10, 2022.
Live streamed via the Facebook and YouTube pages of Jesuit Communications and Radyo Katipunan 87.9 FM, at the core of the Cardinal’s hour-long recollection was the timely virtue of patience, as expressed in the Letter of St. James (5:7), “Be patient then beloved, until the coming of the Lord.”
“Patience on the part of God means we are always tied to God. God will always say ‘You are mine’, ‘You belong to me’,” described the Cardinal of the ‘motherly attachment’ of God to His children, as experienced by the Israelites in the Book of Exodus.
“It’s a never-ending bond called fidelity. It is God’s never-ending connection to his creation. The patience of God will always say, ‘I will remain faithful to you’,” continued the Cardinal, explaining how the goal of God’s patience is to take a person out of evil, to stop him from destroying himself, in order to live a righteous life.
In explaining patience as related to human beings, Cardinal Tagle underscored how we should all aim to aspire for the highest gift of the Holy Spirit, that being love. Part of this act of loving therefore, is being patient, calling for us to open ourselves to the Holy Spirit and reflect the Father’s love in our own lives.
“Patience is part of discipleship—learn from the Father, learn from God, learn from the Spirit,” he added, highlighting how the great patience displayed by Jesus towards his apostles, ultimately led to them fulfilling their destiny as preachers of the Gospel.
Resuming after a short intermission for personal prayer, Cardinal Tagle then turned to Christ’s incarnation as the perfect example of ‘patient endurance’, amidst trials and persecutions. Already the Son of God, Jesus emptied himself of his glory and embraced our misery, out of loving obedience to His Father.
Recalling St.Paul’s message on how afflictions can serve as a ‘school’ for patience, Cardinal Tagle emphasized that this echoes Jesus’ teaching in the beatitudes, where those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake are blessed.
“Patient endurance is allowing the Spirit to form me, in the image of Christ. It is rooted in the deep love that a disciple has for Jesus,” he advised.
Before concluding his recollection with a heartening story of how a mother’s commitment, love and patience saved her son mired in substance addiction, Cardinal Tagle left guide questions for meditation, to help audiences further reflect on the evening’s featured virtue.
“How have you experienced God’s patience towards you? The second point is this, ‘What blocks you from being patient with others the way God is patient with you?’,” discussed the Cardinal.
“Finally, ‘How can we deepen our faith and hope in God so that when faced with afflictions, we would endure them in the light of the spirit?’”
Watch The Word Exposed’s 2022 Advent Recollection via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf8dps64G4s
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