Patience
Patience is the virtue by which one knows how to suffer and tolerate misfortunes and adversities with strength, without complaining. It also means being able to calmly wait for what takes time to arrive.
We live in a frenetic world. The rush of technology and the progress of communications have brought us enormous benefits and comforts. However, they have made us forget patience and serenity. Today everything is urgent. I sent you an email and you didn’t see it. I called you three times and you didn’t answer me. I sent you a whatsapp and you didn’t answer me. I was waiting for you fifteen minutes and you didn’t come. Where have you been? Why didn’t you notify me immediately? Hurry up! Straight to the point! What are you waiting for?
Due to these circumstances, it is important that the virtue of patience be learned from within the family. Daily difficulties experienced with love and patience help us prepare for the coming of the Kingdom of God. When the little boy cries, when the teenager is rebellious, when the daughter is talkative, when the wife yells, when the husband gets angry, when the grandfather is doting, when they have let the dog into the house again and it has filled everything with hairs we put our hands to our faces and exclaim: Lord, give me patience” but now!
It is true, patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit and we must ask for it constantly. This virtue is the first perfection of charity, as Saint Paul says: “Charity is patient, it is helpful; it is not envious, it is not boastful, it is not puffed up; it is decorous, it does not seek its own interest; it is not irritated; it does not take He considers evil; he does not rejoice in wrongdoing; he rejoices in the truth. He excuses all things. He believes all things. He hopes all things. He endures all things” (1 Cor 13:4-7)
Family life here on Earth is a gym to train us in this virtue. Daily adversities invite us to patiently suffer ignorance, error, defects and imperfections of family members. Suffering patiently becomes a beautiful work of spiritual mercy. How much more patient has Christ been with us!
Patience is waiting and calm in the things that are desired.
Patience is learning to wait when you really don’t want to.
It’s discovering something you like to do while you’re waiting, and enjoying what you’re doing so much that you forget you’re doing time.
Patience is taking time every day to dream your own dreams and develop the self-confidence to make your wishes come true.
Patience is being complacent with yourself and having the necessary faith to cling to your desires, even when the days go by without being able to see how they will come true.
Patience is loving others even when they disappoint you and you don’t understand them.
It is giving up and accepting them as they are and forgiving them for what they have done.
Patience is loving yourself and giving yourself time to grow; it’s doing things that keep you healthy and happy and knowing that you deserve the best in life and that you’re willing to get it, no matter how long it takes.
Patience is being willing to face the challenges that life offers you, knowing that life has also given you the strength and courage to resist and face each challenge.
Patience is the ability to continue to love and laugh no matter the circumstances, because you recognize that in time those situations will change and that love and laughter give deep meaning to life and give you the determination to continue to be patient.
Patience, you have it, use it.
Lord, teach us to pray as a family like Saint Teresa of Jesus to have patience: “Nothing disturbs you. Nothing scares you. Everything passes. God does not change. Patience reaches everything. Whoever has God, lacks nothing: God alone is sufficient”.
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