Deacon Tom Anthony

All of our lives are full of challenges and obstacles that at times may feel insurmountable. No one is exempt from these situations even though we may feel that we are the only ones who are in crisis. Every day brings a unique set of challenges and calamities that will test our faith. Instead of looking at these as threats to our happiness we can always approach them as opportunities to strengthen our reliance on God and deepen our relationship with him. To fully experience God we must surrender everything to him with a confidence that he will guide us through what ever we face. God must be the solution to everything. If he indeed is our creator then we must act accordingly.

Jesus warned his followers throughout his ministry that there would be events that would cause doubt and even utter terror. He pointed to the temple which was central to the Jewish culture and faith, indicating that in the near future it would be destroyed. He spoke of war, disease, natural disaster, and calamity. He also spoke of people who would come claiming to be the messiah that would mislead people and deceive them. He then offered comfort, reiterating that all these unfolding events would lead to something greater and more beautiful. Yes, we as Christians would be persecuted and suffer greatly, but that through faith we would then be comforted.

Just as all those who chose God before were confronted with adversity we too can have the same expectation. We are not exempt from the world's imperfections. Instead, we are more readily confronted with them because of who we are. Not only do we have the problems that everyone else has, we are also singled out for destruction by Satan and all the evils he brings. When one Christian brother or sister abandons their faith it affects all those associated with them in a unique way because we are all one family. As one family, when one hurts we all hurt; suffering the same heartache as the one struggling. It is a shared experience. Society wants us to stand alone while God teaches us that we are united. Because of this, Satan sees this as an opportunity through division to defeat us. As long as we stay united and support each other all this can be overcome.

Sacred Scripture offers us comfort in these areas. The Book of Malachi tells us that God will offer justice to all of those who are suffering. His presence will also heal us both spiritually and emotionally. We just need to surrender to him and let him do his work. We cannot control every situation and outcome but God can. True reliance and true faith in him will bring about this result. We must focus on doing all of our work in his name instead of without him. If we indeed believe that Sacred Scripture is the word of God then we must act accordingly and with the knowledge that God will guide us through us reading his Word and there will be positive results if we apply it to our lives. Yes, we will be healed and yes there will be justice.

We are not the only ones who are suffering. We cannot be exempt as Jesus has told us. Just as he experienced suffering we too are facing our own Passion and Crucifixion perpetually. Accordingly, there will be an end to our temporary sufferings and elation will follow as long as we embrace him throughout our ordeals. In our fallen nature we will always be tempted to make our situations central and bigger than they really are. We can easily be overcome with hopelessness and forget that we have the greatest advocate ever who is God. We are surrounded by his love and are representative of his love by just being alive. We cannot dismiss this like but must embrace this knowledge through prayer and support within the community and at times alone in a personal, loving relationship with him. It is with God that it will be revealed that the suffering will pass and validation of our faith will follow. We just have to get out of the way for this to happen.

Jesus says, “You will be hated because of my name.” Through this hatred that society and Satan has for us, there is the temptation for us to abandon God and embrace sin instead. It is so much easier to indulge in all that is wrong in the world and ignore the good. That is one of the allures of sin: it is so much easier to be bad than to be good. Yet, the wide path eventually leads to the destruction of ourselves and all of those around us whom we have chosen to share this life with. Unhappiness and misery is at the end of this road. It is dark and miserable. We all know this yet we are still tempted by it. It is only through God and hard work where we can achieve success.

God is here and he will never leave us. We need to remind ourselves every day that he is for us and will be our guide through all of our experiences be it good or bad. Instead of being overcome by anxiety and obstacles we should know with full confidence that these things should be expected as well as the end result which is victory and love. God would have it no other way. It is only us who expect the complete negative. It is time to expect only the positive which is a good life with God now and forever.

Deacon Tom