The sensible man, taking into account the remedial effect of the divine prescriptions, gladly bears the sufferings which they bring upon him, since he is aware that they have no cause other than his own sin. But when the fool, ignorant of the supreme wisdom of God's providence, sins and is corrected, he regards either God or men as responsible for the hardships he suffers. (Maximos the Confessor)

I am my own worst enemy. In my desires, doubts and dithering are the origins of many hardships.

But difficulty also emerges from my effort - however faulty - to live in a manner consistent with God's intention.

Within God's soaring architecture human society has constructed a warren of low rooms and a veritable maze of tight passageways.

When trying to break out of these tacky additions, I have been disdained or worse. It is also true that, too often, where I thought tearing down an old wall would open into a great hall, it has, instead, merely opened into another part of the maze.

There are, I expect, boundaries to God's architecture. There are surely consequences to living inconsistently with the divine architecture.

But the distress I have experienced has not, so far, been the result of God's design or intervention, but the consequence of choices made by me and my neighbors.

The good news - celebrated with particular joy on this day - is that God walks and works with us in clearing away the slums and tenements to restore and build-anew a beautiful city.