April 13: Saint Justin Martyr

Manus tuae fecerunt me, et plasinaverunt me : da mihi intellectum, et discam mandata tua. ps. 118.
Your hands, oh Lord, made and formed me. Give me sufficient wisdom to know Your commandments and Will, that I may submit to You.
Si unus omnium ad vitam introitus et similis exitus diligenter attenditur varietas illa, quae versatur in medio, necesse est, ut tanquam volax fugacis somnii vanitas contemnabur. S. Pet. dam. l. 7. Ep. 5.
If there is but one sole entry into life, and a similar exit, then this variety that takes place between the two must be considered the vanity of a dream until we latch on firmly to the sole Will of God.

Example: Saint Justin the Philosopher, very much convinced of the Will of God, and moreso submitted to It, looked upon all the wonders of the World as mere squibs that last but a moment. He loved all of the liberal arts, and after studying various writings of the philosophers, he found the work of Plato to be particularly compelling. One day he was all alone on the seashore when he fell into a conversation with a man who made him understand the truth of Christianity. The proof was so compelling that Justin defended these truths even to the loss of his blood and his life. The emperors persecuted the Church with an unusual zeal in his time. Nonetheless, he was able to prove through the wisdom that he had acquired that the Christians were not guilty of any wrongdoing whatsoever. The authorities left them in peace. The war that he declared against the infamous Cynics brought their vengeance upon him. They accused him of being a Christian: a glorious accusation that provided him with an honorable martyrdom by a stroke of the axe.

Practice: Lover of God, you're not there yet. To do the Will of God, you must patiently suffer those hurtful words that they say to you -- perhaps they didn't even mean to offend you; perhaps your indiscretion and and frivolity gave them something to talk about. Dig deeper and ask yourself if you really do want to conform yourself to the Holy Will of God. Then don't just endure dishonor and injury, but rather enter into them in the manner that God desires. If, for example, these injuries come from your subordinates or somebody who owes you something, then be agreeable to them as one can be in the conformity to God's Will. As difficult as the task at hand may be, He makes it that much more agreeable. That is the way to render your days joyful.