WORDS FROM FATHER YOHANES: Standing Firm in the Midst of Trials

By Father Yohanes Akoit

Life keeps moving. Sometimes things go well. There are joy, success, and peace. In those moments, it is easy to thank God and feel close to Him. Everything feels right, and there is no doubt that God is good. But life also brings hard times. There are pain, failure, and despair. In those moments, it is easy to wonder, “Where is God?” Doubts come in. Some even blame God or question if He really cares. It feels unfair to believe in God and still face so much trouble. Based on that situation, a tendency arises to view the existence of God and human negativity as binary opposites. If God, who is the source of all good things, exists, then He should overcome the negativity of life. But in reality, suffering exists alongside God's presence. This perceived opposition often opens the door to criticism and doubt about God's existence.

The existential turmoil prompts a rebellion of the mind and the heart, causing a number of questions to emerge: what does negativity in life truly mean? Are failure, pain, and betrayal simply unfor-tunate events that happen by chance, or do they carry a deeper purpose in shaping personal growth? If negativity is seen only as something harmful, then fighting against it might seem like the right response. But is that the only way to face it? Could there be a better approach to dealing with difficult moments? How should negative experiences be treated; avoided, or embraced?

In response to that question, we are certainly familiar with the choice to avoid negativity. There are many reasons, answers, and tips on how to eliminate it. But what about embracing negativity? Surely, it is not about making things up. It is an integral part of human life. Negativity and positivity are like sadness and happiness. Inseparable and coexisting. They arise simultaneously, forming essential parts of our emotional experience. Together, they shape the depth and richness of what it means to feel. Embracing negativity, then, is an art. A way of nurturing life itself.

A powerful example of this can be seen in the life of St. John Paul II, who faced deep personal pain and loss, yet embraced his suffer-ing into a source of spiritual depth. From a young age, his life was filled with sorrow: he lost his mother, father, and brother before reaching adulthood. He lived under Nazi occupation and communist regime that oppressed religious freedom. Yet through all of this, he did not grow into a bitter man. Out of the wounds of his life grew a mature faith, hope, and love for humanity. When he became Pope, he was shot. But what was truly remarkable was his choice to forgive his attacker. He visited the man who shot him in prison and spoke to him gently. In the final years of his life, John Paul II suffered from Parkinson’s disease, which weakened his body. His voice nearly disappeared, his movements became limited, and his face showed the marks of pain. Yet he never questioned God's existence. He continued to appear before the faithful, his hands trembling but his eyes still shining. In the frailty of his body, there radiated an extraordinary spiritual strength. For John Paul II, negativity or suffering is not a poison to life, but an opportunity through which faith, love, and hope are purified.

Luke 21:5-19 echoes the same essence: “by your perseverance you will secure your life.” This is an invitation to value negativity with perseverance. In the Christian life, perseverance means remaining constant in virtue and in love for God without giving up. It is not mere patience, but an active steadfastness. The determination to keep doing good even when results are not yet visible. When we keep going through pain and trouble, our faith grows, our hope becomes deeper, and our love becomes more real. We ask God to grant us the virtue of perseverance.

Father Yohanes Akoit is pastor of St. Julian and St. Anthony Catholic churches in Kentucky.