George Matulaitis Journal

the greater glory of God, and the salvation of souls, and so, we can be confident that they will make the best use of us for the greater glory of God. We are more easily misled and deluded in trying to pursue our own course of action and trying to achieve our own goals than in submitting to the authority of our superiors and humbly accepting their direction “because God refuses the proud and will always favor the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). Let us pray that God would teach us how to unite prudent initiative with perfect obedience, personal resourcefulness, energy, and diligence with perfect dedication to our Congregation, to its tasks, needs, and goals and through the Congregation—to God and to the Church. Lord, give us the courage and strength to forget and deny ourselves; to die to ourselves so that we may not be afraid to lose ourselves in the Community for the greater glory of God and the good of the Church; to shine forth like a candle on the altar; to be consumed for the glory of God like grains of incense which give off a sweet fragrance; let us not be afraid to be worn out, used up, diminished for the greater glory of God. “With God on our side, who can be against us?” (Rm 8:31). “Nothing therefore can come between us and the love of Christ, even if we are troubled and worried, or being persecuted, or lacking food or clothes, or being threatened or even attacked.” As Scripture promised: “For your sake we are being massacred daily, and reckoned as sheep for the slaughter. These are the trials through which we triumph, by the power of him who loved us. For I am certain of this: neither death nor life, no angel, no prince, nothing that exists, nothing still to come, not any power, or height or depth, nor any created thing can ever come between us and the love of God made visible in Jesus Our Lord ” (Rm 8:35-39). May these words encourage us to persevere and may they comfort and support us in time of persecution. Let us grasp from these words where our strength lies: in complete surrender to Christ we unite and blend with Him. Let us take hold of and embrace the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, and no power will harm us, no power will hinder us or block our path. “With God on our side, who can be against us?” (Rm 8:31) “There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength” (Phil 4:13). 88