His Desire

 “If you want me to rest, 

I desire it for love;

If to labor,

I will die working:

Sweet Love say

Where, how and when

What do you want from me?

Calvary or Tabor give me,

Desert for fruitful land;

As Job in suffering

Or John at Your breast;

Barren or fruited vine,

Whatever be Your will:

What do you want of me?” 

~ St. Teresa of Avila

Today is the Memorial of St. Teresa of Avila. In Magnificat, there was an excerpt from her poem, “In the Hands of God”. Above are just two verses of the excerpt but the poem is a reflection of the life she lived. Whatever the Lord wanted of her is what she wanted. If enduring great suffering as Job experienced is what the Lord asked of her, she accepted it readily. If the suffering was for the Lord it would not be in vain but redemptive not only for herself but for others as well. Just as Jesus was willing to suffer for our sins, as his disciples, we are also called to share in His suffering for the sake of our brothers and sisters. Jesus gave suffering redemptive value by selflessly accepting suffering in order to free us from sin. When we choose to accept suffering in a quiet and humble manner, our humility then opens our hearts to accept God’s grace. Through redemptive suffering we can bring healing to the world just as Christ’s suffering put an end to death.

As his disciples, God doesn’t just offer us suffering and Calvary but also the glory of Tabor. In these moments of grace the Lord reveals himself to us. Just as his apostles got a glimpse of heaven during the Transfiguration, God gives us glimpses of the wonder and awe of things to come. Oh, to be John, the beloved disciple at the breast of Jesus, who rests his head on the beating heart of our Lord and Savior. But these aren’t just moments that we read about in scripture, these are graces that God bestows on us as well. We are his beloved sons and daughters and he wants to comfort us, provide us with a place to rest our head and to be renewed in the love of Christ. But no matter what life holds for us, we need to embrace each blessing and suffering and realize that it is what God desires for us at that moment and that he will provide us with the grace to live as faithful stewards, just as St. Teresa of Avila lived her life.