Have you ever noticed:

1. How often our apparent successes, for which we have striven might and main, have proved, when attained, to be no success at all?

2. How often our apparent failures, which we have dreaded, with all our soul, have proved to be God’s successes?

Have you ever noticed:

1. How often the shallow world dubs real success as failure?

2. How often the hypocrite world, having condemned a work as a failure, when in the end that work succeeds, will flatter it as its own?

3. How often the world, when its own work has failed, will blame another and  never itself?

God’s ways are not our ways.
Indeed they are often the very opposite.

‘He that shall lose his life for my sake
Shall find it.’

‘He humbled himself
Made obedient unto death
Even to the death of the cross.
On which account God hath exalted him
And hath given him a name
That is above every name.’

(Alban Goodier S.J.)