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by Rev. Fr. V.V. Paulose, Toronto, Canada
"Yet I will preserve, 7000 others in Israel who have never bowed unto Baal or kissed him." (1 Kings 19:18)
Do you feel you are alone in standing for truth and God?
Faith is still intact. Truth and God are always in action with never ending transmission of love, joy, and peace as sun shines always and sustains all living beings. Clouds can hide the rays of the sun only temporarily. Our doubts, frustration, and loneliness are the creations of either our own minds or the darkened minds of others like the clouds hiding the sun. Elijah, the man of God and the greatest prophet of Israel with miracles at his finger tips, fell in depression and loneliness after his two greatest victories. He says, "I’m the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too" (1 Kings 19:10). The material prosperity, development in technology, half baked knowledge of science and the propaganda machines of social medias make people to jump into the band wagons of never proved and self- destructive ungodly lies. But the truth is that there will be people who stand for truth and Jesus till he comes. People cry that faith is decreasing, the youth and children are weaning away from morals, and that honesty and the world are going to dogs. This is not so. Reality is just diabolically opposite. When Elijah was lonely and discouraged, he forgot that others had remained faithful during the nation's wickedness. When you are tempted to think that you are the only one remaining faithful to a task, don’t stop to feel sorry for yourself. Be assured that even if you don’t know who they are, others are faithfully obeying God and fulfilling their duties.
John Paul II wrote, "As a young priest I led a retreat in Bielany for university students from Saint Florian’s parish. I remember that on one occasion I went down to the church late at night and discovered that they were planning to pray there throughout the night."
"Standing near the cross were Jesus' mother, and his mother's sister, Mary (the wife of Clops), and Mary Magdalene" (John 19 :25). Demonstrate the action of faith openly even at the face of death. That will inspire others to act.
Jesus, you are the resurrected One whom we worship. Let the dead minds of frigid faith be reignited with the fire of the Holy Spirit. Let the believers connect each other in this depressing world of faithless generation. We pray for those who stand for truth and suffer for it. We remember Elijah the prophet. All we ask in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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