Grow closer to God each day, and allow Him to surprise you

Dr. Alice von Hildebrand, widow of the towering 20th-century philosopher Dietrich von Hildebrand and herself a renowned philosophy professor and author of numerous books and articles promoting the Catholic Faith, went to the Lord on January 14 of this year. She was 98 years old. She was a delightful presence on EWTN, where she discussed many current issues in the life of the Church with Mother Angelica and Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R. She loved the Catholic faith and used her intelligence and charming wit to explain and defend the Faith amid the swirling controversies that so often dominated the life of the Church for a good part of her life.

She had a profound influence on the many people who came to know her over the course of her long and fruitful life. I was blessed to count her as a friend. She was filled with joy amid many sorrows in her life.

She said: “Whatever way God gives you – whatever circumstances you are given – the most important thing is to remember that our task in this life is to grow closer to God. All circumstances can lead to that if understood rightly.”

Growing closer to God is our task. We are not meant to live at arm’s length from God, but rather to seek to be joined ever closer to him. The circumstances of our life, be they good or bad, easy, or difficult, are the place where we are meant to seek that union with God. Difficulties and limitations are not obstacles to serving the Lord and being with Him if we understand them rightly. They are the means for conquering self-love by trusting in God’s goodness when we might tend to doubt it.

It does matter what you think. A proper understanding of God’s plan for us will allow us to reconcile our disappointments and sorrows with our faith in God’s goodness. We all tend to judge how much we think God loves us against the measurement of how many good things God gives us. But what are those good things? Are they simply the list of everything we have ever desired? If that is the case, then we are sure to be disappointed, as God does not grant us all our desires for reasons we may never know in this life. But God’s providence grants us so many things that should be the occasion for a grateful appreciation of His love, a love that draws us near to Him if we only accept what He has given us.

Alice von Hildebrand once told a friend: “Every day I wake up letting God surprise me. He keeps sending me new gifts all the time. Truly, I’m happy because I’m grateful. I’m grateful for my faith, I’m grateful for my parents, particularly my father. I’m grateful for my husband, I’m grateful for my friends, I’m grateful for my work…The list goes on and on!” This list of blessings reminds us that we too need to “wake up” to the goodness of God, which is revealed even, and especially, in moments of trial and sadness. Our journey toward heaven is not without its share of difficulties, but they are sent to us by God to help us correct our path when we wander away from searching for His will into a search for doing our own will, no matter what.

Looking back on our lives, we need to thank our good God for everything He has given us, especially those difficulties which made us more humble and more dependent upon Him. All circumstances do indeed draw us closer to God if we thank Him and ask Him to give us the strength to bear everything with patience and gratitude, with a Christlike spirit. Life is not about succeeding on our own terms, but rather making a Christian success of our life by drawing ever closer to the God who draws us to Himself, if only we let Him.

FATHER GERALD E. MURRAY is pastor of Holy Family Church in New York. He holds a doctorate in canon law from Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and appears as commentator on religious topics on TV and radio, including EWTN, Fox News, Fox Business, MSNBC, NY1, Radio Maria, Relevant Radio, Fox News Radio, and the Voice of America. He writes a monthly column for The Catholic Thing website. He served in the U.S. Navy Reserve Chaplain Corps from 1994 to 2005.