Today's first reading, Acts 16: 22-34, recounts the attack on Paul and Silas, who were beaten with rods and thrown into the "innermost cell" of the prison and their feet secured to a stake. Around midnight Paul and Silas are praying and singing hymns to the Lord when suddenly a severe earthquake shakes the foundation of the jail. "All the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose." Awakened, the jailer thought that everyone escaped and was about to kill himself when Paul shouted: "Do no harm to yourself; we are all here." The jailer rushed in to where Paul and Silas were and said: "'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?' And they said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus and you and your household will be saved.'"
What do you, what do I do, when things go terribly wrong? Pray and sing hymns to the Lord? Paul and Silas were totally into God, so to speak! They certainly were not feeling sorry for themselves and, in no way, took on the victim role. Their faith in God remained unshaken! They remained focused on Jesus and His resurrection; they faced their sufferings as Jesus Himself faced the crucifixion, believing in the Father's power over evil! "All the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose."
What about us? Right now, during this coronavirus crisis and the restrictions imposed upon us, do we find a reason to praise and give thanks to God? Are we reaching out to the Lord for strength to endure and to grow in our faith and trust? Do we believe that God is seeing us through this crisis and that we will come through this as stronger individuals, our faith and trust unshaken? Or are we blistering mad because we cannot do what we would like to be doing and are we into seeking someone or something to blame? If we choose to remain focused on Jesus and believe in His Presence among us, we will witness to the fact that God takes us by the hand and walks with us through this maze. Furthermore, the door of our hearts will remain open to grace and the chains of hopelessness and frustration will not have a grip on us.
Showing posts with label Crisis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crisis. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Food for Thought--IV
The coronavirus crisis and the crisis of Jesus sufferings and death:
Condemned to death, Jesus freed us from eternal death.
On the cross, Jesus prayed: "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
Remember me when you get into your Kingdom, the good thief prayed!
On the way to Calvary, Jesus said to the women: "Weep not for me but for yourselves and your children."
Never will I deny you, said Peter to Jesus and, filled with fear, ended up denying Him three times!
Afraid, the apostles all fled--only John stood with Mary at the foot of the cross!
Verily, "this is the Son of God," the fearful onlookers said when an earthquake shook the ground and darkness covered the earth after Jesus' death.
In cooperation with Satan, Judas betrayed Jesus and then, in despair, took his own life.
Resurrected, Jesus triumphed over fear and death.
Until the coming of the Spirit on Pentecost, the apostles hid behind locked doors for fear of the Jews.
Secure in their faith by the outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost, the apostles went forth to spread the Good News of Jesus' resurrection and did so with incredible boldness and courage, not afraid anymore to express their faith in Christ Jesus.
Following the crisis of the coronavirus, I pray that we will no longer be afraid to put God first in our lives and proclaim our faith in Christ Jesus by living just and upright lives for each other's sake!
Condemned to death, Jesus freed us from eternal death.
On the cross, Jesus prayed: "Father forgive them for they know not what they do."
Remember me when you get into your Kingdom, the good thief prayed!
On the way to Calvary, Jesus said to the women: "Weep not for me but for yourselves and your children."
Never will I deny you, said Peter to Jesus and, filled with fear, ended up denying Him three times!
Afraid, the apostles all fled--only John stood with Mary at the foot of the cross!
Verily, "this is the Son of God," the fearful onlookers said when an earthquake shook the ground and darkness covered the earth after Jesus' death.
In cooperation with Satan, Judas betrayed Jesus and then, in despair, took his own life.
Resurrected, Jesus triumphed over fear and death.
Until the coming of the Spirit on Pentecost, the apostles hid behind locked doors for fear of the Jews.
Secure in their faith by the outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost, the apostles went forth to spread the Good News of Jesus' resurrection and did so with incredible boldness and courage, not afraid anymore to express their faith in Christ Jesus.
Following the crisis of the coronavirus, I pray that we will no longer be afraid to put God first in our lives and proclaim our faith in Christ Jesus by living just and upright lives for each other's sake!
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Anchored in Christ Jesus
In today's first reading, Acts 16: 22-34, Paul and Silas are attacked, beaten with rods and thrown into prison. It would seem as though all is lost, that there is no escape, as their feet are chained to the floor in one of the most secure cells of the prison. In the middle of the night, a sudden earthquake opens all of the prison doors. They are free to escape but do not. The prison guard panics and is about to kill himself when Paul and Silas intervene. What follows is the conversion of the guard and his entire family.
The guard panics. Paul and Silas remain calm; their relationship to the Lord is unshakable. You and I have at times remained calm in the midst of a crisis while others have panicked and vice versa. Panic blocks our awareness of God's presence and His power. It is important to realize that if I seek God on a daily basis, I am more likely to seek God in crisis situations. When I am having a difficult time, my first thought is to call upon my best friend. So, too, if I have chosen Jesus as my closest friend and developed an intimate relationship with Him. I will automatically think of Jesus and call upon Him in both the good and bad times of life.
When, in a crisis, the Rock to which I cling is Christ Jesus, I will be as strong as that Rock. I will not be shaken even if every one around me has entered the crisis mode. To whom do you cling?
The guard panics. Paul and Silas remain calm; their relationship to the Lord is unshakable. You and I have at times remained calm in the midst of a crisis while others have panicked and vice versa. Panic blocks our awareness of God's presence and His power. It is important to realize that if I seek God on a daily basis, I am more likely to seek God in crisis situations. When I am having a difficult time, my first thought is to call upon my best friend. So, too, if I have chosen Jesus as my closest friend and developed an intimate relationship with Him. I will automatically think of Jesus and call upon Him in both the good and bad times of life.
When, in a crisis, the Rock to which I cling is Christ Jesus, I will be as strong as that Rock. I will not be shaken even if every one around me has entered the crisis mode. To whom do you cling?
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