Friday of the 6th week of Easter
Theme: Blessed assurance
In the 1st reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we see God giving Paul the assurance that he should not be afraid to continue to preach the Good News, because he will always protect him and no harm will come to him. Paul had faith in God and continued to preach the word of God. Even when the Jews rose up against Paul, God used Gallio the proconsul to rescue him from their hands; by so doing fulfilling his promise to Paul, that no harm will come to him as he evangelize the people.
My brothers and sisters in Christ, this should be a source of great strength for us as children of God. Whenever we embark on the work of God, we must always know that we are not alone; we are always with God who is the owner of the work. The Good News that we preach is of the Divine and not yours. Just like in the case of Paul in today’s 1st reading, our own is to do the work, while we leave everything to God. If there is battle to be fought, allow him to do the fighting; he will always fight such battles and victory will be assured. Sometimes we make the mistake of wanting to fight for God, forgetting that he is the mighty man in battle. He will always take care of his own; just like in the case of St. Paul in today’s 1st reading. He never disappoints all those who trust in him.
In the gospel reading of today Jesus points out the fact that we may be going through storms in our life at the moment, but we must trust in God and remain steadfast because our sorrows will turn into joy. This simply means that whatever difficulty we are passing through at the moment, is not permanent and will definitely come to an end. Suffice it to say that it is simply a phase in our life that will definitely come to an end. Let us be strong and trust in God, as we continue to do our best in the given situation and wait patiently on the Lord. As disciples of Christ, we must accept the fact that sorrow and joy are two sides of the same coin; and we will encounter them at some point in our lives.
May God grant us the grace to remain steadfast in the face of difficulties and trust in the victory that will follow at the end. May almighty God bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.