The Evening Prayer for yesterday had this excerpt from the Letter of James:

James 1:2-4: “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

(Via USCCB.)

Easy faith is easy. It doesn’t stand trials. Encounter any problem with life, and we all have many, and easy faith turns to despair. Or, a loss of faith and perhaps a “conversion” to an easier religious faith.

James believes that good, sincere, faithful faith understands that trials happen in life, and faith is the way to cope with them, and in doing so such faith grows and becomes stronger. It perseveres and assists the person trudging through life endure to life’s end.

They joy in James’s reference is probably this understanding that we become stronger to endure through to the end of life. Trials are a reminder that this life is not permanent and that we are destined for something greater.

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