Beyond the Clouds by Fr. Jacob Nampudakam, S.A.C. | Page 55

we need to humbly acknowledge, recognize, and accept that we are finite and limited. It is not depreciating ourselves. Rather, it is both reality and truth. As Christians, we also believe that everything happens with the approval of our Supernatural Being, the Creator, and Father of us all. Placing ourselves in His hands, and allowing Him to guide us to our destination, is faith. It's just like our experience in the plane. We are able to sleep far more peacefully after that much-awaited meal when we have trust in the captain and the plane's capacity to carry us to our destination. Whereas on the other hand, if we lack that faith, we are bound for a restless and miserable flight, worn out and distraught by the time we touch down. The same is true for our life, too. If we constantly worry over a potential earthquake, stock market crash, cancer diagnosis, or accident during heavy traffic, there will be no time to live. Let go! Abandon yourself to the One who loves and cares for us, the One who will do what is best for us, the one who will solve the one thousand challenges facing us in our daily lives. The Captain is the navigator. As St. Augustine says, “God provides the wind, but man must raise the sail.” This is why Moses is a key figure in the Bible. He is on the move to the Promised Land, even though he knows not when he will reach. Yet he advances on the promise of God, never stopping. So, too, is this true of those in leadership roles in the Church. One must be always seeking God’s will, discerning wisely the direction the Spirit's wind as it blows. Success or failure- let history judge him. If one wants to assure success in all that he does, and acceptance from others all the time, he will be under continual- and unnecessary- pressure. His human, psychological, and spiritual energies will be consumed very fast, and much like a balloon slowly leaking air, he will be depleted. This is not to say that any one of us is so strong, or beyond the strains of everyday life. We all pay a price. But a man of faith- regardless of the tribulations and struggles- will follow the way of Jesus, even ending up on the Cross. The difference is that he will live forever, in the 55