If you would be convinced that in all he allows and in all that happens to you god has no other end in view but your real advantage and your eternal happiness, reflect a moment on all he has done for you; you are now suffering, but remember that the author of this suffering is he who chose to spend his life suffering to save you from everlasting suffering, whose angel is always at your side guarding your body and soul by his order, who sacrifices himself daily on the altar to expiate your sins and appease his father's anger, who comes lovingly to you in the holy eucharist and whose greatest pleasure is to be united to you. we must be very ungrateful to mistrust him after he has shown such proofs of his love and to imagine that he can intend us harm. but, you will say, this blow is a cruel one, he strikes too hard. what have you to fear from a hand that was pierced and nailed to the cross for you? – the path i have to tread is full of thorns. if there is no other to reach heaven by, do you prefer to perish forever rather than to suffer for a time? is it not the same path he trod before you out of love for you? is there a thorn in it that he has not reddened with his own blood? – the chalice he offers you is a bitter one. but remember that it is your redeemer who offers it. loving you as he does, could he bring himself to treat you so severely if the need were not urgent, the gain not worthwhile? can we dare to refuse the chalice he has prepared for us himself? reflect well on this. it should be enough to make us accept and love whatever trials he intends we should suffer. moreover it is the certain means of securing our happiness in this life quite apart from the next.