In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world

13 MAY (Jn 16,29-33)

Who reads the history of the Martyrs and Confessors of the faith knows that they have received from the world – and even from the Christians who are in the world – all sorts of trouble. St. Paul in his Second Letter to the Corinthians reminds us all his suffering and affliction due to the Gospel cause. We can say that he has known all forms of pain.

For you put up with it if someone enslaves you, or devours you, or gets the better of you, or puts on airs, or slaps you in the face. To my shame I say that we were too weak! But what anyone dares to boast of (I am speaking in foolishness) I also dare. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? (I am talking like an insane person.) I am still more, with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, far worse beatings, and numerous brushes with death. Five times at the hands of the Jews I received forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I passed a night and a day on the deep; on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own race, dangers from Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many sleepless nights, through hunger and thirst, through frequent fastings, through cold and exposure. And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led to sin, and I am not indignant? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus knows, he who is blessed forever, that I do not lie. At Damascus, the governor under King Aretas guarded the city of Damascus, in order to seize me, but I was lowered in a basket through a window in the wall and escaped his hands. (2Cor 11,20-33).
In the Letter to the Romans he takes up the theme of the tribulation and proclaims himself winner in every thing by virtue of the love of Jesus who loves and moves, attracting him to Him.

What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him? Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who acquits us. Who will condemn? It is Christ (Jesus) who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? As it is written: “For your sake we are being slain all the day; we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rm 8,31-39).

Paul’s faith is on the model of Jesus Christ: Jesus was moved by love for the Father. Paul is moved by love for Jesus. The greater is the love for Jesus and, the more strength one possesses to overcome every trial. Jesus, strong in the love of the Father, has overcome the world. Paul, strong in the love of Jesus Christ, also overcame the world. The power that the victory over the world gives us is our obedience to love.

His disciples said, “Now you are talking plainly, and not in any figure of speech. Now we realize that you know everything and that you do not need to have anyone question you. Because of this we believe that you came from God.” Jesus answered them, “Do you believe now? Behold, the hour is coming and has arrived when each of you will be scattered to his own home and you will leave me alone. But I am not alone, because the Father is with me. I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.”

When obedience to love is weak in us, because Jesus Christ is weak in us, then every difficulty overcomes us. We are the losers, the perennial losers by the world. Sometimes the world does not even come to tempt us, to create us torments and sufferings. We are the ones that we put on idleness, sloth, every other vice and all this hinders our obedience to love. The secret of victory over the tribulations of the world and our vices is only the love for Lord Jesus. In this love we are called to grow every day. In it we have to increase. The more we grow in it and the more our evangelical journey will be true and perfect. Who wants to endure to the end must start tidying up his love for Lord Jesus. An inordinate love is vanity of faith.

Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redemption, Angels and Saints renovate us in our love for Jesus. It is the only way to grow and abound in every good work.