Illusory and immature religion falsely proclaims: “Pray hard, and you will be delivered from everything you fear!” It does not take long for this way of proceeding to foment complicated resentment that alienates one from the Mystery of God.

Mature religion, instead, says: “Yes, some of the things that you fear will happen to you. You will definitely experience suffering and loss. But, in the midst of this loss, your ego will crumble, your stony heart will grow soft, and you will find interior resources you did not know you had.”

Put another way, if we follow Jesus faithfully, we can expect our false self to die. When it does, we can then count on the dynamic of resurrection and a rebirth of incarnate love.

—Paul Mitchell, author of The Examen Book