Download Perseverance in Trials: Reflections on Job djvu

This is the third book that I have read by Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, and he is by far the most spirtually insightful writer I've found.
His writing is often punctuated with short lists - two or three items where be reduces the essence of his exceptionally deep and well thought
guidance. Each page of this book is a real nugget. It took me a few weeks to get through this - a couple pages at a time, even though it is a
short book. I learned from this book of the Philokalia and the Eastern Orthodox Desert fathers. I particularly remember Cardinal Martini using
this as an example of deluding ourselves with our thinking in those pre-dawn minutes when we first awake and the mind plays many tricks and
delusions on our thinking. Cardinal Martini uses a beautiful and poetic prose in conveying very profound insights he has into our human lifes
and temptations. He is an incredibly gifted spritual leader.

My God bless Cardinal Martini - he passed away on Friday, August 31, 2012 at Aloisianum, a Jesuit institute in Gallarte, Varese province,
Italy. His funeral will be Monday, September 3, 2012 at the Catherdral of Milan Italy. Approximately August 8, 2012, he gave his a final
interview to reporters from Corriere della Sera, an Italian paper. In it he was quoted "[European and American] culture has aged, our
churches are big and empty and the church bureaucracy rises up, our rituals and our cassocks are pompous. ... The Church has remained 200
years behind the times. Why has it not been shaken up? Are we scared? Fear instead of courage?". He will be buried in his spiritual home,
Jerusalem, Israel. He was a brave and courageous spiritual leader and his writings will have a very long impact on our lives.

This is a compact treasure of a book by a master biblical scholar and spiritual guide, filled with brilliant insights, thoughtful meditations, and pastoral wisdom. With the the Book of Job as a framework, Martini considers suffering, various Christian responses to suffering, and how we can react to the trials of life. He alternatively probes Job's character, considers third world suffering and our response to it, ponders human knowledge about self and God, and helps us to follow Jesus's trials to live as did Jesus.
Throughout the book, he ties together various others' analyses of the challenges that Job presents, referring to such diverse thinkers as Catholic liberation theologians and evangelical Protestants. A typical example of the depth of his meditations is his final one: He compares Job's "unwearying search for divine justice ... and the way human beings can understand it" with "The Song of Songs's unwearying search for love ... and the joy [the presence of the beloved] brings." I'd never heard the two compared before, but I delighted in the parallels he revealed.
In each chapter, Martini demonstrates miraculous wisdom and balance in considering difficult challenges in one's Christian life. His discussion of coping with a restless mind not only led me to better appreciate and balance Martini's continual emphasis on dialogue and an exchange of views with others, as evidenced by his Belief or Non-Belief? (written with Umberto Eco) or his thoughts about the role of doubt, but most important, it proved to be great pastoral advice for such people as me with a wandering mind.
Throughout the book, Martini's comparisons with other biblical passages, from both Old and New Testaments, prove extraordinarily creative and dynamic. He considers Job from diverse perspectives, all with the aim to guide one's meditations on the Bible and to richen one's spiritual life.

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Like most of us I have experienced numerous trials in my life, some of them very difficult to endure. What has been tough is finding good written resources to help me meditate, put my troubles into perspective, and spiritually endure. Perseverance in Trials is such a resource. Carlo Maria Martini must have lived through some rough times to provide the insights I find in this book.

Perseverance in Trials presents 137 pages of meditations and homilies given at a four day retreat for priests. Cardinal Martini provides meditations on scriptures in the book of Job, and applications that focus upon understanding and applying the lessons of Job to our lives.
Martini provides a great many insights into the book of Job and human suffering in general. His advice and exercises are very helpful in dealing with our trials in this life. I am reluctant to attempt a review, however I must hope others share the Cardinal's insights. He offers three notions I will discuss: acceptance, submission, and perseverance.

Cardinal Martini suggests that everyone faces trials. Suffering is part of human existence. Facing my trials can lead to a more peaceful life. He also indicates that how I react to unmerited suffering can reveal what I truly am. Carlo Maria Martini counsels that when I am in a situation of suffering, I usually first challenge the situation. "Why me LORD". "How can I possibly endure all this pain or grief?" Next I react with anger, sometimes becoming angry with others or with God. Then I question the situation "What does it mean" and "why do I continue to suffer?". Finally I may long for death. The book says that God expects these reactions and that historically Hebrews prayed songs of lament to express their feelings about their problems. Such lament helps process the suffering.

I must learn to accept my trials. Acceptance appears to be a vital reaction for my spiritual growth. Initial acceptance is often not enough. Continued suffering can wear on my faith. Martini talks of a "mysterious submission" that with God's grace can sustain us in long suffering. As his troubles increase, Job clings to his trust in the LORD, but wonders if his trust in the LORD will remain.

Martini advises that after accepting my life and submitting to any suffering I experience, I could encounter further difficulty. While still suffering with my problems, I may begin to reflect on my situation and encounter the "worst trial of all." As long as the pain remains, I must continue to accept and submit day after day. This perseverance is very hard. I may realize that I gave my initial acceptance and submitted to this situation, however I am not in control. I must trust in my Lord and surrender to His control.

Perseverance in Trials is an vital book. I recommend it.