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Day 13: The True Fruit of Advent in Suffering
“We need the season of Advent; we need it in suffering, in joy, and in thought. We need it in everything that is to bear fruit in our lives. People sometimes get disheartened because they have read that suffering ennobles and have met people who seem to have come out of the crucible like pure silver, made beautiful by suffering; but it seems to them that in their own case it is quite the opposite. They find that, however hard they try not to be, they are irritable; that astonishing stabs of bitterness afflict them, that far from being more sympathetic, more understanding, there is a numbness, a chill on their emotions: they cannot respond to others at all; they seem not to love anyone any more; and they even shrink from, and dread the very presence of, those who are compassionate and who care for them. They say that in their case suffering is certainly a failure.
The truth is that they are too impatient to wait for the season of Advent in sorrow to run its course; a seed contains all the life and loveliness of the flower, but it contains it in a little hard black pip of a thing which even the glorious sun will not enliven unless it is buried under the earth. There must be a period of gestation before a nything can flower.”
Commentary: Caryll Houselander reminds us that Advent is a time not only for joyful expectation but also for deep, sometimes painful growth. She speaks to those who, in the face of suffering, feel they are failing because they don’t experience immediate transformation or nobility. Instead of emerging like “pure silver,” they may find themselves bitter, numb, or unable to connect with others. Houselander encourages us to understand that suffering doesn’t always yield visible or immediate beauty. Like the silent growth of Christ in Mary, the fruit of our suffering may be hidden, slowly transforming us in ways we cannot yet perceive. Advent teaches us to be patient and gentle with ourselves in these times, trusting that God is at work even in our apparent failures.
Personal Reflection: Consider any struggles or difficulties you may be facing. Rather than judging yourself for not “feeling” transformed, allow yourself to rest in God’s silent work within you. How can you cultivate patience with yourself, trusting that this season will bear fruit in time?
Houselander quote from: Caryll Houselander, The Reed of God, Sheed & Ward, 1944
For more reflections visit:
Caryll Houselander – Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts
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