HOLY WEEK: LENT DAY 39

The harmony of contraries is what makes the beauty of creation. From the dawn of creation, evil has existed side by side with good and evil has always tried to overcome good yet good has always found a way to flourish in the heart of evil. From the time John preached his message until this very day, the kingdom of God has suffered violent attacks and the violent men try to seize it (Matthew 11:12) to this St Paul will call upon us not to allow evil overcome us but to overcome evil by good (Romans 12:21). The battle between evil and good is ongoing and it is left for each of us to choose which one wins in our life. I want you to know that where you think it has ended and that evil has won, it is at that point that life resurfaces. This is the beautiful reality of the seed that falls on the ground and dies when it dies, then life begins for it abundantly (John 12:24). Death, they say is the end of all things but for the seed that falls on the ground and accepts death, death rather becomes a new beginning. In trying to teach his disciples the path of true life, Jesus will remind them that anyone who wants to save his life will lose it while he who accepts to lose his life will save it for eternal life (Matthew 16:25). This is another way of telling them that true life springs from death. You must learn to embrace the challenges that come so that you can rise high. Like wisdom says, in the eyes of the unwise they appear to be dead. Their going is held as a disaster, it seems they lose everything by departing from us, but they are in peace (wisdom 3:2-3). When such evil happens, everyone will quickly think this is the end for you but do not forget that, with God, the beautiful blessings are born from afflictions (Wisdom 3:5-8). A beautiful example is the story of Daniel who was cast in the lion’s den (Daniel 6:16-17) or again that of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who were thrown in the furnace of fire (Daniel 3:19-23). When they were cast into the den and the fire, everyone thought it was over for them but in the heart of those pits, life was beginning for them and blessings were flowing in abundance, raising them to the position of leadership and authority (Daniel 3:97 and 6:25-28). This is the beauty of God’s work, when everyone thinks it is over, that is when it begins. When everyone had given up on Lazarus and said it was over for him, Jesus came around and a new beginning started for him and made him so great that people came from left and right just to see him and believed in God (John 12:9-11). This is the same rule that gave us the beautiful profession of faith from Thomas who passed from deep doubt to deep faith. From the heart of his doubt was born the most profound faith with made him acknowledge Jesus as God (John 20:24-28). What is sowed in weakness is raised in power and what is sown in dishonor is raised in glory, this is what happens when we accept to embrace things in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:42-45). St Paul will push this far by saying it is when he is weak that he is strong and so he gladly suffers all things for Christ because the strength of Christ is revealed in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). How can strength lie in weakness? Humanly speaking, it can’t be possible but that is the power of God. When everyone knows you are weak and can do nothing on your own, the power of God is revealed, and in it, you find the power to do all things through Christ that becomes your strength in the weakness (Philippians 4:13). This is the beauty of it all, the strength of God arises in weakness, and the power of life and victory lies in the readiness to die. It is in the readiness to lay down our lives that the power of victory over evil is found. John said they overcame because they gave up their lives going to death (Apocalypse 12:11). Jesus will give us another kind of assurance about life even at the heart of death when he said anyone who believes in him even if he dies shall live (John 11:25-26). Remember that if you die with him you shall live (2 Timothy 2:11). Stop believing in appearances and look beyond what meets the eye. Things are not always what they seem to be, they can be something in appearance and another in reality. In the Garden of Eden, the tree of knowledge which was attractive and beautiful rather brought death and suffering to the human race (Genesis 3:1-19) while the tree of the cross which was a source of suffering and curse brought life to the human race. From the beautiful tree of Eden came death while from the cursed tree of the cross came freedom (Galatians 3:13). Death reigned through the actions of one man but through the actions of another man life reigns (1 Corinthians 15:21-22) so do not be afraid because the evil that is done in the dark shall not survive when the light comes. Do not be afraid to lay down all you have, but be strong and be sure that whatever you lay down for God or whatever you sow for God shall never be held captive by death because the Lord God will ransom them from the power of the grave and redeem them from death (Hosea 13:14). Remember, it rather starts when everyone thinks it has ended.

In Corda Matris.

Resolutions

I resolve to be ready to follow Jesus right up to the cross.
I resolve to entrust my life to his hands unreservedly.
I resolve to suffer with Jesus so that I can reign with him.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, your son Jesus died to save and free us from the power of death and evil. May his death touch the hearts that hardened and make them obedient to him, so that they too can pass from life to life. Amen.