Embracing Failure
“Blessed are those who, amidst darkness, believed in the light”
When all our human projects, our earthly supports, crumble;
when out of our most beautiful dreams, only disillusionment is left; when our best efforts and our firmest desires
do not reach the proposed objective; when sincerity and loving zeal obtain nothing
And failure is present, distressing and cruel, frustrating our most beautiful hopes, Lord, You remain indestructible and strong
a friend who can do everything.
Your plans remain unchanged; nothing can stop your will from being fulfilled.
Your dreams are more beautiful than ours, and You make them come true.
You transform failure into triumph;
You are never defeated.
You, who from emptiness create all beings and all life, take our powerlessness into your creative hands, with infinite love,
and make it produce the fruit of your work, beyond all our desires.
In You, our hope is saved from disaster and fulfilled. Amen.
- 14 Lord of Victory
Dear friend, there is always the danger that when we confess Jesus Christ as God, we may be cutting back, diminishing, or negating the humanity of Jesus. To be human means freedom, developmental growth, uncertainty, fear, anguish, discouragement, failure, weeping, doubting, not seeing clearly, correcting course as you go, seeking God’s will in unpredictable situations, being frightened, ups and downs in mood… and according to the Gospels, Jesus lived these and similar human situations fully and intensely.
Jesus had to face all the circumstances in which any of us might find ourselves: amidst gossip, misunderstandings, envy, pettiness, persecution, betrayals… His was a dense and varied human experience, without excluding any of its bitter aspects. That is why He is a Master in the general mystery of suffering and has the moral authority to address all the afflicted of all times, in any circumstance, saying to them: “Come to me, all you who feel defeated…” What did Jesus feel when he said?
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you. How often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” (Luke 13:34)
Or also?
“As he approached and saw the city, Jesus wept over it, saying: ‘If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace! But now it is hidden from your eyes.'” (Luke 19:41)
How did Jesus overcome all the situations, He had to go through? With a constant personal prayer. That is how He was able to go so far in His patience, meekness, and endurance, because each day He came away from His prayer strengthened for the struggles of life.
Dear friend, now imagine Jesus deep in prayer and, just as He did, recollect yourself as well, and feel that He lives in you, prays and acts in you as Paraclete.
The Paraclete is the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, from Pentecost onward, and it is He who gives us, among many other gifts, His precious gift of peace. But that peace must be asked for and sought each day, as situations that will disturb us constantly arise. Therefore, pray, right now, like this:
Holy Spirit, source of peace and comfort, today I come to you with a troubled heart. There are words that hurt me, fears that unsettle me, and unfulfilled desires that rob me of my serenity. But I know that your peace can heal all of that.
Come, Holy Spirit of love, and envelop me with your gentle caress. Take every worry, every anger, every sadness, and pull them away like drops sinking into a river of serenity. Let me feel that sweet emptiness left in the soul when it no longer struggles, when it only trusts…
Fill that space with your holy fire, with your strength, with your life… May your presence restore the peace I lost and help me maintain it each day, knowing that You are always with me, working silently within my heart. Amen.
Dear friend, after these moments in which you have released all that oppresses you and with the certainty that the Holy Spirit has swept away all your worries and anxieties, serenely observe your peaceful heart, full of trust… Remain like that, observing yourself, aware of your peace and serenity… For one or two minutes…
And before returning to your life, with a positive attitude, slowly say the following prayer:
If I changed my way of thinking towards others, I would feel more serene.
If I changed my way of acting with others, I would make them happy.
If I accepted everyone as they are, I would suffer less.
If I accepted myself just as I am, overcoming my flaws, how much my home and my environment would improve…!
If I fully understood my mistakes, I would be humble.
If I always desired the well-being of others, I would be happy.
If I found the positive in everyone, life would be worth living.
If I loved the world, I would change it.
If I realized that when I hurt others, the first one hurt would be me…
If I criticized less and loved more…
If I changed… the world would change.
(Prayer “If I changed”)
Finally sing: “¡My joy, oh Lord, is fulfill Your Will!”