By Fr. Roy Cimagala
YES, we can afford to be confident, happy and at peace in spite of whatever difficulty, trial and challenge we may be facing as we try our best to be consistent with our Christian identity. While suffering will be unavoidable, the grace and the help of God is always assured. There is really no reason for us to worry for long.
This is what we can gather from the readings of the Mass on Friday of the 6th Week of Easter. (cfr. Acts 18,9-28; Jn 16,20-23) In the first reading, Christ in a vision told St. Paul: “Do not fear, but speak; and hold not thy peace, because I am with you, and no man shall set upon you to hurt you…”
The gospel reading of the day reinforces the same idea. “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices,” Christ told his disciples. “You will grieve, but your grief will become joy.” And he continued, “Whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.”
There we have the basis why we can afford to be confident, happy and at peace irrespective of how our life of taking seriously our Christian duties would lead us. Our sense of confidence, joy and peace should spring from a faith that gives us the ultimate meaning and proper direction to all our human knowledge and endeavors. It is what gives the original perspective to all events, good or bad, in our life. Otherwise, we would end up confused and lost.
We also need to make our faith grow to cope with the multiplying infranatural consequences of our human condition that is weakened by sin. There’s no other way to manage and survive the consequences of sin, ours and those of others, personal as well as the collective and structural, than by relying first of all on our faith. Without faith, we will find no exit, no relief from this wounded status of ours.
That’s why St. Paul said: “Above all, take the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” (Eph 6,16) Faith holds pride of place in our armory to wage that lifelong battle with our wounded flesh, the temptations of the world, and the tricks of the devil.
Without faith, we would be easy prey to these enemies of our soul. Without it, we most likely would be filled with fear and anxiety, if not sadness and desperation. Faith unites us to the tremendous power of God over any kind of evil, self-inflicted or caused by others.
There’s no way we can achieve our ultimate goal without faith. With God, we have everything. As St. Teresa de Avila would put it: “Solo Dios basta!” (God alone is enough!)
Let’s just strengthen our faith and keep our piety vibrant for only then can we manage to make these very reassuring words of Christ effective in our life. With this condition, we can afford to be hopeful and confident.
With this condition, we can be like a good sportsman who would always train himself for his sport and play the game bent on winning though losses can also take place, and yet would still go on playing his game.
We should assume the mind of Christ who, when he fell a number of times on his way to Calvary, never let go of the cross. We have to strengthen our sense of being children of God who always takes care of us.
Email: roycimagala@gmail.com
