\u201cThe adjective troublesome normally refers to someone who causes annoyance and harm, who is unwelcome and unpleasant, difficult to endure. It comes from the Latin and shares the same root as moles<\/em>, whose meaning is \u00abbulk\u00bb, \u00abmass\u00bb, \u00abweight\u00bb, but also \u00abdanger\u00bb. Troublesome people are therefore those who \u00abweigh down on us\u00bb and whom we perceive as irritating or even threatening\u201d (C. Albini).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Throughout history there have always been particularly \u201ctroublesome\u201d people: quarrelsome, petulant, insistent, intrusive, pushy\u2026 But it seems that contemporary society, with its blatant individualism, has multiplied these occurrences. If you hesitate for a second when the traffic light turns green, a chorus of honking is immediately aimed at you. The phenomenon of bullying is steadily rising, starting as early as primary school, with its devastating consequences. It reaches the point of stalking, a crime consisting of repeated harassing behaviors, such as following, phone calls, messages, threats, or surveillance, which produce a state of fear and anxiety in the victim, forcing them to alter their life routines. Or even femicides, driven by the inability to understand and accept the freedom of another\u2026 Social networks have brought about such a level of verbal violence, often shielded behind absolute anonymity, that the internet has become a place of severe harassment from which it seems impossible to shield oneself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAggressiveness is in the air; we sense it within families and at work, on the street and on screens. We breathe it in entertainment and experience a sublimated pleasure from it. And we even have to deal with its passive variation, which leaves no physical wounds but sinks deep into our psyche, generates negative emotions, and causes suffering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A door slammed in anger, the refusal to engage in dialogue, an annoyed gesture, a cutting remark\u2014these leave their mark and abruptly shut down communication\u2026 Physical violence, verbal violence, passive violence. We are surrounded by violence because it is part of human evolution, written into the DNA of the living being, who had to use it to defend oneself, overcome the other, and ensure survival\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, when social bonds loosen and anomie takes hold, as \u00c9mile Durkheim warned, there is a risk of regression and community breakdown. Without rules, the worst sides of being take over\u2014the instinctive, uninhibited, or uneducated part. Aggression resurfaces, where community members, who previously shared existence peacefully, become potential enemies or dangerous competitors\u201d (C. Bordoni).<\/p>\n\n\n\n God says: \u201cHave I not held my peace and closed my eyes?\u201d (Is 57:11); \u201cIs the patience of the Lord exhausted?\u201d (Mic 2:7); \u201cOr do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance, and patience, not realizing that God\u2019s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?\u201d (Rom 2:4); \u201cThe Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness; instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance\u201d (2 Pet 3:9); \u201cGod\u2026 bore with great patience the objects of his wrath\u2014prepared for destruction\u201d (Rom 9:22); \u201cHe did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished\u201d (Rom 3:25-26); God \u201crestrains anger and punishment because he is benevolent, patient, and desires to lead us to repentance\u201d (Rom 2:4).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pope Francis stated: \u201cIn the Bible we see that God himself must use mercy to endure the complaints of his people. For example, in the Book of Exodus the people are truly unbearable: first they weep because they are slaves in Egypt, and God frees them; then, in the desert, they complain because there is nothing to eat (cf. 16:3), and God sends quails and manna (cf. 16:13-16), yet despite this the grumbling does not cease. Moses acted as mediator between God and the people, and he too must have seemed troublesome to the Lord at times. But God was patient, thereby teaching Moses and the people this essential dimension of faith\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let us look above all at Jesus: how much patience he had to show during the three years of his public life! Once, while journeying with the disciples, he was approached by the mother of James and John, who said to him: \u00abDeclare that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom\u00bb (Mt 20:21). The mother was lobbying for her sons, but she was a mother\u2026 Even from that situation Jesus took the opportunity to offer a fundamental teaching: his kingdom is not one of power or earthly glory, but of service and self-giving to others. Jesus teaches us to always focus on the essentials and look further ahead to embrace our mission responsibly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jesus frequently speaks of patience in parables, such as the Prodigal Son, illustrating divine patience and mercy toward those who may seem troublesome. The persistent widow who receives justice from the unjust judge (Lk 18:1-8) and the insistent friend who receives three loaves for pilgrims (Lk 11:5-9) demonstrate that even troublesome individuals can receive the benefit of prayer and mercy.<\/p>\n\n\n\nGod is patient<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Bearing patiently<\/h2>\n\n\n\n