Today, Christ. Always, Christ. From him we come; the good seeds sowed in our life also come from Him. God visits us —the Kempis says— in the consolation and in the desolation, with the sweet taste and with the bitter taste, with the flower and with the thorn, in the cold and in the heat, in the beauty and in the suffering, in our joy and in our sadness, in our courage and in our fears... because everything has been redeemed through Christ (He also felt the fear and he overcome it). As St. Paul says, «And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him» (Rom 8:28).
All this is fine, but... there is a mystery of iniquity and wickedness that does not come from God, that extends beyond us and ravages the Church, which is God's garden. And we would like God to be “somewhat” more powerful, more “here and now”, that He would be more demanding and would not let these distressing forces in: «Do you want us to go and pull up [the weeds]?» (Mt 13:28). In his last book Memory and Identity, John Paul II wrote this: «We patiently suffer God's mercy», that waits until last moment to offer salvation to all souls, especially those more in need of its mercy («Let them just grow together until harvest»: Mt 13:30). And, as He is the Lord of our lives and of all mankind, He pulls the threads of our existence, while respecting our freedom. And along with our afflictions we are supplied with overabundant grace to overcome them, to sanctify ourselves, to head towards Him, to be a permanent offertory, to make his Kingdom grow.
Through each encounter, each event, Christ, divine pedagogue, introduces us to His school of life. He comes to meet us and says: —But take heart! I have overcome the world. I am with you always, until the end of the age» (cf. Jn 16:33; Mt 28:20). He also tells us: —Don't judge; but, rather, do as I do, wait, trust, pray for all those erring, and sanctify them as members you are very much interested in, for they are members of your own body.