It is not the beginning that crowns the spiritual life, but perseverance to the end.
Many begin with zeal, but few learn the mystery of endurance. Enthusiasm may ignite the soul for a season, but only steadfast love keeps it close to God. Grace does not seek a heart that burns only for a moment, but one that remains faithful through every season of life.
There will be days when prayer comes easily and days when every word feels like labor. There will be times of light and times of darkness, of consolation and of dryness. Do not change your path according to changing feelings. The sun does not cease to exist because clouds conceal it.
The inner man does not grow through occasional great deeds, but through the quiet faithfulness of each day. A prayer offered today, a temptation endured tomorrow, a forgiveness granted the next day—little by little, Christ takes shape within the heart.
Do not ask how far you have come. Ask whether today you have remained with Christ. The one who abides with Him each day will discover, at the end of the journey, that the Lord has been with him every step of the way.
“He who endures to the end shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:13)
