“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
What a proper quote from J.R.R. Tolkien’s, Fellowship of the Ring.
It seems we are going through such a time. None have escaped suffering. Some have felt the pangs more than others, but all have been affected. The little crosses we have taken up as followers have gotten a bit heavier than usual.
As Catholics we realize that this suffering, though unbearable at times, can be very useful. Through it we can be cleansed, we can be remade. We appreciate all of our blessings, and we can offer it up.
Yes, offer it up. Those words are very powerful, very necessary. Jesus will gladly take that offering upon on His shoulders. With it He will embrace it, transform it, and use it for the good of yourself or others. You can equally offer your sufferings to Our Lady. It is truly a comfort to know that our beloved Jesus and His mother are willing to take on our burdens.
Why is this so vital? At this point in time, we are sadly without the gifts of the Sacraments. What we may not realize is that it is the partaking in the sacraments that flood the earth with grace and protection. Without them, we are left vulnerable as many doors are left wide open for the evil one to waltz right in.
Grace keeps us strong, fills us with hope, protects us, and, as the songs says, leads us home. Our uniting our suffering to Jesus, along with our repentance and prayer will continue that flow of grace in this world. We cannot survive without it.
Even in the darkest of moments Frodo perservered. We may not have to trek miles and miles facing unknown dangers, but, we too have the power to help bring light to the darkness a little grace at a time.