My response to a despairing friend's email

Dear Jennifer,

I wept this morning, but am strangely at peace now. This may not be the will of God, but He has most certainly permitted it. I will pray for Obama, that God use him for His greater glory, that He grant him wisdom and a conversion of heart. God knocked St. Paul from his horse, He can do the same to Obama if He wills it. And if not, what then? Can I despair? Should I think God has abandoned us? Was God not aware of all those who died in WWII concentration camps? Has he abandoned His faithful in the Sudan and in India, who are being butchered by Muslims and Hindus?

Remember that His Kingdom is not of this world, or else He would not have been crucified by the world. His concern is less for our bodies than for our souls, and if He feels that the bodies of His beloved children must suffer so that their souls may be tried and purified, so be it. He permitted His Son to be tortured and killed so that we might share in His divinity. Remember that if the world despised and crucified Him, we can expect nothing better for ourselves.

This is a time to draw close to Christ and to make a reassessment of how we live our lives. Do we place God and His Kingdom first? Are we teaching our children to do so, or do we just pay lip-service to Him? This is a time for resolutions, a time to increase our resolve to be faithful. It is a time to increase our devotions and make even greater use of the sacraments and sacramentals we have at our disposal. It is a good time to pour out our hearts to Him in the Blessed Sacrament.

But we cannot despair, for that only shows a poverty of faith. Hold fast to the barque of Peter and be not afraid.

Yours, with Mary at the foot of the cross,

Nadja