What Are We Holding Onto, Sam?

I was inspired to re-post this article after reading Cristina Montes”s On Spe Salvi and The Lord of the Rings.  I would highly recommend that one read her article first, and then read this as a follow-up meditation.

In light of the most recent presidential election, the continued shortage of jobs, money, security, and Hurricane Sandy, this country has been low on hope.  The more one finds out, it seems, about political affairs and economic downfalls, the more reasons he has to turn away from God, wondering why He would let all of this happen to His people.  But, it is in falling into that line of thought that we, as Catholics, would be failing Him, for in allowing ourselves to think that way, we would be forgetting our calling, our mission, our purpose on this Earth.

Though everything  mentioned above is depressing, we have not been called to a hopeless existence that ends in death.  On the contrary, we have been called to take part in a supernatural battle whose end we know, but must strive to reach.  We- the followers of God, the great soldiers of Christ- are not just pawns on a chess board, being moved thoughtfully but callously.  We are greatly loved by our Creator, and He does not force us to move this way or that, but asks us.  He gently guides us in the right direction, but it is up to us to choose to listen.

The very fact that we exist shows that God has not given up on this world yet.  He wants us to keep fighting; He has called us to meet the Enemy with His holy armor to protect us and the sword of truth to defend us.  We are loved, cherished, and have not been called to suffer without cause.  All of our hardships, from a simple headache to public persecution, can be offered up for the salvation of ourselves and the world.  The way we face trials and trust through despair are our greatest tools for evangelization.  When Satan tempts us, or when demons rise against us, it is God giving us a chance to do something amazing for Him, to glorify Him in our stand against evil.  Every wound we bear, every temptation we forgo, is God giving us a chance to take one step closer to Heaven.

There is no short-cut; the road to Heaven is not paved with gold and surrounded by flowers, all of those beautiful things must wait until we have succeeded in staying on the narrow path.  If Jesus allowed Himself to be tortured and killed for the likes of us, then we should be able to respond to His call and take up our crosses and follow Him, trusting in His promise to never give us more than we can handle.

In turning all of these things over in my mind, a clip from The Lord of the Rings came to mind (big surprise there).  Poor Frodo is in so much pain, facing so much hardship, and slowly the demon is taking over his mind- not because he”s giving in- but because he just has so much to resist, and it”s becoming too much for him to handle alone.  He looks up at Sam with his dirty face and red eyes and says “I can”t do this, Sam.” Sam replies: “I know. It”s all wrong. By rights we shouldn”t even be here. But we are. It”s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were. And sometimes you didn”t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened?

But in the end, it”s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something, even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn”t. They kept going. Because they were holding on to something.”  Frodo asks: “What are we holding onto, Sam?”  And good, simple, wonderful Sam reminds both him and all of us: “That there”s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo…and it”s worth fighting for.”

May we remember Sam”s noble, honest words.  May we never let go of this hope, and this fact that- as long as God is still within the world- there is indeed good worth fighting for.  In the words of Winston Churchill, “Never, never, never give up.”

May God bless His soldiers, and fill them with the strength to go on, and the hope to look forward to better days.

Originally posted on my blog, A Catholic Teen”s Perspective, at What are we holding onto, Sam?.

Abigail C. Reimel

Abigail C. Reimel

Abigail C. Reimel is a budding Catholic author in love with her faith. Though her more immediate dreams include successfully completing college and securing an editing position, she ultimately hopes to live in a little beach house with her future family while writing books that present "the good, the true, and the beautiful" to the young adult generation in an exciting way. She has been published in the St. Austin Review and hopes to be published many more times in the future. She adores living by the ocean, but traded salty winds for mountain air to attend Christendom College, where she is majoring in English.

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5 thoughts on “What Are We Holding Onto, Sam?”

  1. Pingback: What Are We Holding Onto, Sam? | cathlick.com

  2. What a wonderful post, thank you for re-posting. I love that quote from Sam, and it is a fantastic reminder of why we are here, why we should never give up. I would like to add my favourite quote from the movie, which is also pertinant: “what we have to decide is what to do with the time that we are given.” We are here for a purpose, there is always hope and always a reason for where we are.
    God bless!

    1. Thank you! I do too, I find myself thinking about this quote, and the quote you mentioned, often these days. The Lord of the Rings is full of such wonderful life lessons and inspirations, and I love sharing them any chance I get. Thanks for sharing the wonderful Gandalf quote, and for commenting! God bless you as well!

    1. Thank you very much! Yes, actually, I went to the Midnight Premiere last night (this morning)! So, to answer your question, it comes/came out today!!! I hope you enjoy it! To God be the Glory!

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