Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati will be canonized a Saint on September 7, 2025. He loved mountain climbing, regularly organizing trips into the mountains with his close friends, with occasions for prayer, liturgies, and conversations about faith on the way up to or down from the summit.
After what would become his final climb, he wrote a simple note on a photograph: “Verso L’Alto”, which means “to the heights.”
I used to think that following God would get easier as I went through life.
I’ll wait for those of you who are rolling on the floor to stop laughing.
But my logic was sound.
After all, if I did what He asked — saying my prayers, going to Mass, reading the Bible, receiving the sacraments — I’d get stronger. And that strength would enable me to manage the ups and downs of life more easily. The obstacles that once tripped me up would be no match for my super-sized faith muscles.
Seems to make sense, right?
Except it felt like the more Kim and I progressed on our faith journey, the harder it became. I grew discouraged because it seemed like I was regressing. “I used to be so faithful. I should be stronger. This shouldn’t be so hard. What am I doing wrong?”
It turns out, the only thing wrong was my understanding of the spiritual journey.
The truth was that I was stronger. Many of the things that would have buried me when I was a young man were now much easier to defeat.
It took me some time to realize that the spiritual journey is like ascending a mountain. The higher a mountain climber ascends, the thinner the air gets, the harder it is to breathe, and the more difficult the trek becomes. If you’re the climber, it might feel like you’ve regressed, because it wasn’t this hard to breathe a few hours ago, but the fact of the matter is that you’ve reached a new elevation. You’re at a new, more challenging level.
The difficulty is not a sign that the mountain climber is doing something wrong or that his or her skills have regressed; it is a normal part of the process.
Growing in virtue and holiness works the same way.
In God’s gym, you don’t build muscle lifting little weights. To get stronger, you need to lift heavier and heavier weights.
This is a good thing to remember if you’re discouraged by your spiritual progress, or apparent lack thereof.
Just like any hike, when you start on your faith journey, you’re excited. You have enthusiasm and boundless energy. If you’ve been following Jesus for a while, there’s a good chance you’ve experienced some rocky terrain.
Maybe like right now.
It might not seem like it, but you ARE stronger than you were when you started. The challenges that you’re struggling with now might well have buried you back then.
The struggle is not a sign that you’re doing it wrong.
You’ve just reached a higher elevation.
Keep climbing.
Leave a Reply