All the circumstances of life have the potential to either threaten our life of faith, or deepen and enhance it. Thus, although adversity and suffering can drive us to seek God’s help and comfort, these can also undermine our faith in God’s provident love—more than one Christian has abandoned his or her faith because of suffering and tragedy. Conversely, blessings, good health, and plenty, can either awaken the heart to deep gratitude and spontaneous praise, or breed complacency, ingratitude, and a prideful disregard for God. The Israel of Hosea’s time fell victim to the latter and thus brought upon themselves the destruction which followed. Thus because, as Sirach warns us, the day of prosperity makes one forget adversity; and the day of adversity makes one forget prosperity, we need to establish our faith on something more solid than the ever-changing circumstances of daily life and build our faith, instead, on the solid Rock of Christ’s promise of fidelity and unfailing saving presence in both weal and woe.
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