6 Vol. LVIII, No. 1 Magnificat not sick and tired of the universal evil which knows no bounds? Is He not weary of being mocked like this by humans, His creatures? Fortunately, the sufferings we have experienced in the last few years have given me hope. One might say that God had two remaining options: the first one was to close the books of human history, but it appears He did not choose this option. Instead, God chose to employ suffering – suffering which comes from men, from their sins. As I said before, it is not God who invented evil. It is important that we truly understand this: evil comes from the sins of men. Evil brings about this desolation, which is becoming increasingly widespread, which is becoming universal. It is this same desolation that will be the remedy for all evils if – hence the reason for the watchword – IF, my brothers and sisters, in patience, without complaining, without grumbling, without analyzing everything – if as sinners, as people who are guilty, we accept these evils in patience, patience. What a profound and sublime invention of Infinite Love: God makes suffering the remedy for evil. The prophet says of Jesus the Messiah, He was thought of as a man struck by God and afflicted.4 Jesus, Innocence itself, was regarded as the vilest of sinners, struck not by the hand of men but struck by God Himself. This is how our Redeemer became our remedy. He took our sins upon Himself. He atoned for them with all His sufferings and with His sorrowful Passion. Jesus is the greatest, finest example we can have of this virtue of patience – a Christian virtue, that is, a Christlike virtue. Our Saviour practiced patience in all the circumstances of His life, from the manger to Calvary. First, He remained hidden for thirty years in a life of labor and patience. Then, in His 4. Isaiah 53:4. public life, He was often badly received, confronted with all sorts of snares that were set for Him, enduring all sorts of remarks that mocked and ridiculed Him. What patience! Patience in the face of His enemies, patience with His friends. His Apostles, His friends, did not understand very quickly. Man does not understand the things of God very quickly. Patience all around, and in a sublime manner during His Passion. It is as if there was something about patience that charmed Jesus so deeply that He wanted to come and show us how to practice it. — THE ROYAL GIFT OF INFINITE LOVE My brothers and sisters, we must believe that trials, tribulations, woes and sorrows are the royal gift of Infinite Love. Believing it and adhering to it is perfection. The perfection of a Christian is to truly believe with his whole soul that suffering is a royal gift of Infinite Love, and therefore of God Himself. Whatever the suffering, tribulation, infirmity, illness, contradiction, setback – and I have not named all of them yet – we must silence our little reasoning and enter into the design of God by views of faith. Sin has distanced us from God; it has riveted us to the earth and set us on a path contrary to God. I insist on this point so that it From the manger to Calvary, Jesus suffered patiently. Let us imitate our divine Model.
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