Raising the Flag of Adversity

The Utility of Adversity

In this twelfth Chapter, Thomas brings us into the notion spoken of in Proverbs 27:17, "As Iron sharpens iron; so one person sharpens another."  Our adversity has utility in that it brings us closer to one another, closer to humility and closer to The Lord. In our humility, it knocks off the spurs!

Indeed, why do we pray, do good works, go to Mass, write blogs about the Faith, protest abortion, etc?  It certainly does NOT make us the wunderkind of the community.  These activities usually bring us derision, and so we "offer it up" for our own sins, and those of the whole world. 

It is good for us to have some troubles and adversities; for these make a man enter into himself, that he may know that he is in a state of banishment, and may not place his hopes in anything of this world.


It is good that we sometimes suffer contradictions and that men have an evil or imperfect opinion of us when we do and intend well. These things are often a help to humility and defense against vainglory.
 For then we better run to God, our inward witness, when outwardly we are despised by men and little credit is given to us.



St Christopher and The Christ

 I put St. Christopher here, since here is one guy who suffered derision to the point that historians even doubt whether or not he existed.  But yet, he, or his representative, carried Christ, our inward witness.  As we carry Christ, we can more easily wade the deep waters that trouble us in our daily walk.  St. Christopher, please pray for us! -help us to be Christ-bearers into the Christmas Season.

2. Therefore a man should so establish himself in God so as to have no need of seeking comforts from men.


When a man of good will is troubled, or tempted, or afflicted with evil thoughts, then he better understands what need he has of God, without whom he finds he can do no good (John 15:5).


Then also he laments, he sighs, and prays, by reason of the miseries which he suffers.

Then he is weary of living longer, and he wishes death to come so that he may be dissolved and be with Christ: (Phil 1:23).


Then also he will perceive that perfect security and full peace cannot be found in this world.

In this concluding paragraph, Thomas tells us that we should place our hope in the Lord, since, while we may believe that some day the lion and the lamb will lay down together (perhaps the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God!), that right now we will continue to have tribulation in this world. So we keep standing up for the rights of the unborn, the poor, the widow, the orphan, even in the face of the seeming futility, because in this adversity a flag is raised to give others hope, since He has overcome the world.

Until next time,
Thanks for reading and praying along with me.
Look for my next post during Christmas.  Merry Christmas!
tim