“But you, Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
offspring of Abraham my friend—
You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth
and summoned from its far-off places,
To whom I have said, You are my servant;
I chose you, I have not rejected you—
Do not fear: I am with you;
do not be anxious: I am your God.
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Yes, all shall be put to shame and disgrace
who vent their anger against you;
Those shall be as nothing and perish
who offer resistance.
You shall seek but not find
those who strive against you;
They shall be as nothing at all
who do battle with you.
For I am the LORD, your God,
who grasp your right hand;
It is I who say to you, Do not fear,
I will help you.
Do not fear, you worm Jacob,
you maggot Israel;
I will help you—oracle of the LORD;
the Holy One of Israel is your redeemer.”
New American Bible. (2011). (Revised Edition., Is 41:8–14). Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
It can be that you have the feeling that you still have not contemplated your victory. We are in “Hosana Brasil” time of celebrating the victories of God. Allow me to say that God has not abandoned you. He is with you! The great martyrs of the Church experienced, in the crucible of suffering, the experience with the Holy of holies. I bring to you some examples of the martyrs, as Ignacio, who was taken in chains and received the sentence of being thrown to beasts. he fell on his knees, glorified God and expressed his “Hosanna”. It appears crazy, but it is not. He is sure of Heaven, sure that God was with him.
“Do not fear, in the end you are going to contemplate the hand of the Lord,” Affirms Father Edimilson.
photo: Maria Andrea/cancaonova.com
I say to you here: When we are tested by God in suffering we often take the posture of complaining. We cannot have this type of posture. We must permit God to santifiy us, the door of Heaven is open to all. I can cite a 14 year old girl from China, who did not deny God and was decapitated, but she did not complain on the way to her execution, on the contrary, she went courageously to Victory! She also expressed her “Hosanna.”
Dearly beloved, before tribulations, we are not alone. The Lord is with us! This is the weekend of celebration! The Lord is with us. He is not indifferent to our pain.
Beloved, sing the victory in each medicine that you have to take! Do not complain against God. If this is your suffering, then embrace it. Praise God!
The Lord is your major victory! Do not fear, in the end you are going to contemplate the hand of the Lord.
From our lips we cannot speak complaints! Complaints are the song of the devil. We cannot, my friends, live this way. We need to love the Lord, not for what He does, but for what He is.
My great help comes from the Lord. It maybe whatever circumstance, even that I pass through the valley of darkness, my steps are always in the Lord. It is God to whom we need to adore! Do not be discouraged before diffculties, on the contrary sing your ‘Hosanna”, for the Lord is faithful.
Father Edmilson Lopes.