Thought for the Day – 6 February – Meditations with Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
Meditations on “The Great Truths”
From “The Devout Year”
By Fr Richard Frederick Clarke SJ (1839-1900)
6th Day – How to Attain our End
One thing I do; forgetting the things which are behind
and stretching forth myself to those which are before,
I press towards the mark.
(Philipp iii:1,3,14)
+1. Everyone desires to succeed in life.
A man who desired ultimate failure would justly be regarded as a lunatic. If I am to carry out my desire, I must look around myself and see what sort of men succeed.
+2. When I look at successful men, I find in all, three characteristics:
(1) A spirit of cheerfulness and confidence.
They know how to look at everything from its best side.
Hence, I must pray for these attributes.
(2) A spirit of perseverance.
They are not discouraged by failures.
They recover themselves without delay.
What a lesson for me, not to lose heart but to say, when I fall, I will rise again and that, promptly!
(3) A spirit of single-mindedness.
They keep the end in view steadily before them.
If I am to attain, to the End of my life, to succeed in coming to God at last, I must keep Him always before me.
+3. What can make my life as happy as this, to know that
I am drawing nearer to God?
Yet, there will be dark times and days of despondency.
Still, down at the bottom, beneath the surface, there will be hope and peace, even amid the darkness.
Pray for cheerfulness and an earnest purpose to live for God alone!
AnaStpaul 