#5 “So we are asked to pass a test, and it's not supposed to be easy.”

Fr. Joseph Iannuzzi: "God tells Catherine of Siena that every virtue is increased by its contrary that is, that a virtue can only grow in opposition to its resisting force. Patience can only grow by confronting an impatient situation. Love can only grow by confronting hate or evil or sin. And when there is no opposing force, the virtue remains stagnant.

So the virtues depend upon him, specifically our neighbor, through whom these opposing forces come. Sometimes situations caused by our neighbor as well cannot enable the virtues to grow, because events sometimes can be challenging. So we should avail ourselves of these situations, is what I'm trying to say, for the good of our souls and for the good of others. Using a trying situation for a positive outcome. No, it's not easy, nor was it, nor is it supposed to be.

The purpose, and we all know this, of our existence on earth is to love God with faith and hope, to serve him with faith, hope and love, and to be happy with him in this life and in the next. But we have to pass the test of keeping the faith. Just like the angels had to pass the test of serving the will of God, namely that the second person of the Trinity should assume not an angelic, but a human nature.

Just as Adam and Eve had to pass the test of obeying the will of God, namely, that they should partake of any fruit they so desired of all the trees of Eden, except one, one fruit of one tree which contained the knowledge not only of good, but also of evil. Like the test of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was asked by God to give her will to him not just one day, but every day of her life, unconditionally.

So we are asked to pass a test, and it's not supposed to be easy. It wasn't easy for Mary, it wasn't easy for Adam and Eve, and it wasn't easy for the angels. But those that did pass the test among the angels and like Mary and like those who keep the faith to the end, who live on earth, will inherit heaven. Because we have to prove our loyalty to God. And this is the way we do it, by serving him with faith, hope and love in this life, so that we can also reign with him in the next."