Jesus is very gentle but very firm with me. He has shown me that I must not shrink from what He wants. He is ever near, urging me in the same direction; you know where His divine face was turned so constantly during life and at its close. I am not afraid of sacrifice; He has given me a most intense love for suffering and humiliation, but why, oh why, did He make me so wretchedly weak that I cannot take one step if His strong arm is not around me?

COMMENT: If Fr Doyle was so aware of his own weakness and inability to move forward without Divine assistance, how much more do we need grace to help us on our journey? We should never underestimate the power of this grace; a quick review of the letter Fr Doyle wrote to his sister in December 1916 (and published here on December 19), shows a man transformed by the power of God’s grace, ready and willing to accept God’s will, even if it run contrary to our own legitimate desires.

We should take heart this week as we prepare for Christmas. God is with us. He assumed our lowly human condition with all of its physical weaknesses and sufferings in order to save us. He understands our needs and will not be slow to assist us.