Brothers and sisters: If God is for us, who can be against us? He did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him? Who will bring a charge against God's chosen ones? It is God who acquits us. Who will condemn? It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? As it is written: For your sake we are being slain all the day; we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
REFLECTION
If God is for us, who can be against us?
If God is for us, do we have anything to fear? Fear itself is morally neutral, it is neither good or bad. Jesus Himself in His humanity experienced fear especially noted in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus looked at fear and did not run away. It is our response to fear that makes it good or bad, leading us unfortunately to run and put up boundaries.
I have a fear of physical pain as well as pain of rejection, of not being accepted and of being humiliated. I fear death. The virtue or consolation we receive from the anguish, distress, illness, weakness are gifts or virtues proportionate to the level of our problem. Jesus loves us and all that we endure is an opportunity to help carry His Cross as we walk and pray with Him. This is one of the greatest transformative acts that lead us to sanctity.
Jesus was disappointed at the rejection of His messages. The same Jesus living in the Tabernacle beckons us to visit, receive His consolation, many graces, love, mercy, compassion, reconciliation and hope.
He has ransomed us with the ultimate cruel and torturous sacrifice on the Cross. He takes us away from the clutches of the fox, the devil, and conquers death through the Resurrection and invites us to spend eternity with Him.
Seek shelter in the Tabernacle. Embrace His love and visit with Him. At the end of my life, Jesus will be my judge but also my friend. May we seek His Presence every day in prayer, service, praise and thanksgiving.
"Suffering without faith is unbearable. But suffering that is nourished by the flame of faith becomes something beautiful, because it tempers the soul to deal with suffering" —St Pier Giorgio Frassati
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