Lambs Among Wolves

Before anything else… Alleluia, Alleluia, and Alleluia once more! I hope everyone had a joyous Easter :)

We, pilgrims here on earth, have shifted from the Lenten season to the Easter Season. From darkness to light, sin to virtue, and death to life, we are now made anew through Jesus’ glorious Resurrection, the central part of our faith. As we press on in our journey throughout this Easter Season in shouts of rejoice, we, too, must remain steadfast in our renewed love for God and continue in pursuit of our Eternal Home with Him.

The continuation of this journey is going to be a trying one, but we must strive to leave no room for discouragement and be guided by the Light, Jesus Christ. Since we are in the Light of Christ, we must remain in it, but don’t think it’ll come easily because it won’t.  I like to refer back to my church’s charismatic group’s slogan: “it is not easy to work for the Lord, but the retirement is out of this world!” We must work at this every day.

When it comes to troubling times for me, I try my best to think back to the Apostles who were still left here on earth after Jesus returned to His Heavenly Father. How scared they must have been at first when they realized that they were going to be without their leader? Look at how scared Peter was. Be that as it may, the single-mindedness and absolute passion which they possessed for our Lord after all that they’ve witnessed has led the world to where we are now. Their fears diminished after the realization that they were never alone. Peter, who was once a coward, denying Jesus three times, became the first pope; look at the papal line of succession for example… this is the rock on which Jesus built His church and it’s still directing itself onward. It started once the Apostles abandoned their lives for the sake of the call, the Great Commission, and went out as lambs in the midst of wolves; wolves as the doubtful that ultimately put them to death, but in turn, deaths that led to their secured life with their Master in Heaven. Aside from that love, why did they live their lives as they did? Because Jesus told them to.

Jesus forewarned that the road in suffering with Him wasn’t easy, but the Apostles proceeded in the building the church on earth under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit produced the zeal after the Apostles willed for it to happen. Now please don’t believe that our relation to the Apostles is unrealistic. They failed many times, too. I admire Peter so much because of his failures time and time again after Jesus’ Resurrection, yet he somehow stayed on course and persevered, thanks to the Holy Spirit. That is the same Spirit that can produce the same zeal in us. Imagine what the world would be like if we allowed the Spirit to move in our lives in that way. No doubt we will fail, but with enough faith in the Holy Spirit as our guide we will be led to succession.

Work hard, pilgrims, and know that we are never alone.