Pure and holy, powerful and glorious, holy and blessed, extraordinary and worthy of all praise and glory is our God. To the Lord of Lords and King of Kings be given all praise and adoration, all love and exaltation, all power and honor, our great God and Lord Jesus Christ. May every mouth proclaim for the glory of God the Father that Jesus Christ is Lord! May every knee bow before His presence, before His wonderful name.
Let us begin this post by declaring this so that we may be edified in the power of praise, rendering all gratitude to the Lord Jesus with Eliana Ribeiro from Canção Nova, for He is our strength and victory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yil6Pvhhyeg
My dear brother and my dear sister, we need a society of Christian men and women who have had an experience with Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who walk with Him, who seek each day to do and live His will, who hunger and thirst for His presence, and who are consumed by love for Him. The world needs to see an army of young people, adolescents, children, the elderly, men and women experienced and strengthened by Christ rise up today!
Behold, all of nature awaits this moment in human history with eager longing, as Saint Paul attests to us:
"I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope; that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now." (Rom 8:18-23)
CREATION AWAITS THE REVEALING OF THE SONS OF GOD. Ahhh, if we understood this and began to fulfill our role as followers of Jesus Christ, nature would thank us, the world would be transformed, and there would not be this wave of lukewarmness that exists in our days. This is what we will reflect on in this post.
What does it mean to be lukewarm Christians? Why do Christians not manifest themselves in the face of societal oppression? What should be our role in today's society? What do we have to do to change? What can we concretely do to stop being lukewarm? These may seem like funny things, but we will see throughout our reflection that this is a reality and the only way of life for many Christians.
I don't know if you noticed, but in the photo above there is a situation that many people today call bullying. Especially in childhood and adolescence, this is a serious and grave matter that has led people to suicide and to commit murders. This is very serious and must be eradicated from our society!
Do you know the main reason why so many people are humiliated, offended, hurt, wounded, negatively marked in various phases of life, in all parts of the world? The OMISSION OF CHRISTIANS!
The largest religion in the world, without a shadow of a doubt, with the greatest number of adherents, in the four corners of the Earth is Christianity. The Catholic religion stands out with the largest number of followers, but what is perceived is that the majority of these Catholics who call themselves Christians do not know Jesus Christ, have not had an experience with Him, do not walk in His ways, and do not seek what is pleasing in God's eyes. This is a shame!
What we are writing today is not just for Catholics but for all Christians around the world. And thanks be to God, many people from other countries have been following us vehemently, especially from Russia and the United States. So here is a bomb for all lukewarm Christians, for those who are complacent, for those who are sleeping and accepting the impositions of this evil system that attacks Christianity and its values every day, for all who are on the edge of grace and sin but have not decided which side they want to follow.
Prepare yourself and open your heart to all the prophetic word that can be useful for your life and can propel you to spiritual growth, to an experience of conversion, to an awakening to the spiritual world, to a shake-up so that you may rise up and assume your post and your role as a Christian.
Last week we reflected on the importance and necessity of silence, as a powerful weapon against the noise of the world for those who belong to God. We could associate the photo above with the other photo we used in the previous post, but the meaning is totally different. Today we are not talking about silence but about the impiety of so many Christians who should be heralds of God's truth and grace, but remain silent.
See what the word of God tells us about this, once again in Saint Paul's letter to the community of Rome:
"For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness." (Rom 1:18)
If we continue reading the following verses of this chapter, we will have the explanation that Paul gives for the origin of homosexuality and sexual aberrations (in other posts we will delve deeper into this topic).
FOCUSING ON OUR CONTEXT, SAINT PAUL WANTS TO OPEN THE EYES OF THE COMMUNITY OF ROME AND OUR EYES SO THAT WE MAY PERCEIVE THAT THE WRATH OF GOD IS MANIFESTED AGAINST THOSE WHO HOLD THE TRUTH CAPTIVE!
Fortunately, many Christians today know about the things of God. Thanks be to God, many have also had extraordinary experiences with Jesus Christ. Regardless of your history, you who are Christian, baptized, have experienced in your life, even if you have never done such grave or heinous things, what Saint Paul wrote in his letter:
"Giving thanks to the Father, who has made us worthy to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Col 1:12-14)
We are participants in the inheritance of the saints in light. This should be a reason for tremendous and spectacular joy for us (in other posts we will delve deeper into the theme of the joy that springs from salvation). We are a people of those who have redemption and forgiveness. Father Léo, SCJ explains to us what these two terms mean: "To redeem is to break with the bonds of sin. Remission is to go into the depths of your being and remove the shell of sin."
In other words, no Christian lives or can live under the action of the power of darkness, sadness, sin, or the devil, because none of these have power over us, since we are with Jesus Christ, we were buried with Him in baptism, and in Him we live the new life of all those who are in Jesus Christ; nothing that is dirty, impure, or old can remain (cf. 2 Cor 5:17), just as no curse or condemnation (cf. Rom 8:1).
To touch the depths of the soul and disturb many nominal Christians, let us turn to the central passage of this post:
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Mt 7:24-27)
All of us who are Christians frequently hear and read, if we are true Christians, the word of God, expressed through our Lord Jesus Christ. It happens that not all of us put this holy word into practice to transform our lives. Or even worse: we hear and read the Word of God, but nothing changes in our lives.
Here we touch upon a group of Christians who have perhaps become accustomed to hearing the Word of God. Reading the Holy Scriptures has become a routine, and our habits become routine when we live and do things as if we already knew what was going to happen. The Word of God is always new, it is always renewed, its content is infinite, there are no limits or barriers to the grace of God that is expressed through it (in other posts we will reflect on the Word of God).
How sad it is to see Christians who have turned hearing, reading, and meditating (when it happens) the Holy Bible into a routine. It is as if they already knew everything that is written and their whole life was already configured to the commandments, the laws, the love of God that is transmitted to us, the power of the Lord's blessing and grace. This is not true! We must always grow and never be content with any level we have reached.
"But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ." (Phil 3:7)
But what about when you have reached such a high spiritual level of intimacy with Jesus Christ that there is nothing more to grow or improve in your life? Hahahahaha, then my brother and my sister, you will have already passed from this life to the next and will be living in the eternal glory of God in heaven. This is exactly what will happen to us by the power of Jesus Christ! But as long as we are in this land of sin, where it is almost forbidden to be a Christian, we must always grow.
If you were to think today: are you built on the rock (that is, hearing Christ's word and putting it into practice) or are you built on the sand (that is, you hear Christ's word and do not put it into practice and do not seek to put it into practice)? If we are sincere, we will realize that many of us are on the sand!
THIS IS THE REASON WHY THERE ARE SO MANY WEAK CHRISTIANS TODAY! What is a weak Christian? It is a person who is built on themselves, on the things of the world, on their potential, on their capabilities, on their money, on the empires and riches of this world, who, besides living a life of pretense before people, and therefore not having true joy within them for having been taken from darkness (because they remain in the darkness of sin, selfishness, lies, masks, a beautiful image before others), infects others to follow their example.
How many Christians today live in pursuit of riches, money, fame, applause, a comfortable life, praise, fleeting worldly pleasures, placing all their trust and protection in passing goods?! This is very serious, and these are the ones involved in scandals related to fraud, money laundering, in politics or not!
WE MUST BE PROPHETS AND DENOUNCE THESE WOLVES AMONG US! WE MUST SHOUT FEARLESSLY BECAUSE WE DO NOT SERVE MEN BUT THE KING AND ALMIGHTY LORD JESUS CHRIST. AND IF WE SERVE HIM, IT IS OUR OBLIGATION AS CHRISTIANS TO DENOUNCE FEARLESSLY!
Saint Paul warned the Christians of his time and today he admonishes us:
"Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the wicked do secretly. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Eph 5:10-14)
It is time for this bunch of weaklings that exist today to wake up to life and let Christ illuminate them. Notice that this word invites us to awaken from sleep and rise for Christ to illuminate us. That is, the awakening and the rising is ours. Christians must become aware of this: if we do our part, God will certainly do His part. God is faithful (cf. 1 Cor 10:13)!
There is another group of Christians who become totally lost when they hear the Word of God. Why? Because they do not listen constantly (or even listen, but do not pay attention), do not read in their homes, do not reflect, do not pray, and do not care. What we are trying to say, more gently, is that there is a bunch of Christians who do not nourish themselves with the Word of God.
They want to be Christians in this world, but without the strength of the Word of God... This is impossible! John the Evangelist, the one who leaned on Jesus' chest, who took Mary to his home (to care for her and be cared for by her), called the apostle of love, and who had the revelation of the Apocalypse, wrote in his first letter to the young people (in other posts we will delve deeper into the theme of youth, explaining that all Christians, not just nominal ones, are young):
"Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have heard from the beginning. But now I write you a new command as well as an old one—that this command is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. Whoever claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in darkness. Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. But whoever hates a brother or sister lives in darkness and walks in darkness; they do not know where they are going, because darkness has blinded them. I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one." (1 Jn 2:7-14)
EVERY CHRISTIAN WHO HEARS THE WORD OF GOD AS ONE WHO VALUES IT, IT REMAINS IN HIM AND HE IS NO LONGER WEAK. AND THESE ARE THE ONES WHO OVERCOME THE DEVIL AND TESTIFY TO THE GRACE THAT GOD WORKS IN US, FOR US, AND THROUGH US.
It is this Word that gives strength and courage to stand up against all oppression of society, according to its own instruction, which helps to love and remain in the light. It is through this strength of heart that the word of God generates in each of us, that Christians must have the courage not to conform to this world, and to set an example with their own sacrifice:
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Rom 12:1-2)
CHRISTIANS SHOULD BE THOSE WHO PROCLAIM AND LIVE THE LOVE OF GOD, WHICH IS CAPABLE OF HEALING THE TRAUMAS AND FEARS CREATED TODAY; THEY SHOULD BE THOSE WHO PACIFY HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS; THEY SHOULD BE THOSE WHO SET AN EXAMPLE OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST JESUS; THEY SHOULD BE THOSE WHO DO NOT CARE WHAT OTHERS THINK, BUT WHO FULFILL GOD'S WILL, IN A CONTINUOUS AND CONSTANT PURSUIT.
There is another group of Christians who are always down, sad, rebellious, nervous, restless, full of hatred, with a desire for revenge, neither giving nor asking for forgiveness, unbearable, anguished, always complaining and trapped by vices. Above all, they do not recognize their weakness.
The problem of these beloved by God, as well as all other groups (and God also loves those who are not Christians), is not any of this, it is not sin, it is not weakness; but the failure to recognize weaknesses, the failure to recognize sins, the mask of a false Christian.
To be true Christians, weak and sinful as we are (in other posts we will delve deeper into the theme of the weakness of Christians), we must renounce sin, renounce weakness, renounce lies, renounce masks, and surrender all of this, RECOGNIZING our misery (which is the first step of renunciation).
"Now this is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us." (1 Jn 1:5-10)
We have provided the roadmap with the answers to each of the questions we posed at the beginning of the post, and we will answer the last one based on the photo of freedom below (so as not to extend this post too much). Let us open our arms to prayer:
"Beloved Father, dear Jesus, and sweet Holy Spirit, I address you at this moment. Most Holy and august Trinity, I lift my prayer to you now because it is from You that I need. My Lord and my God, I want to acknowledge my weaknesses, my sins, my lack of holiness, my laziness, my infidelity, my complacency, my spiritual slumber. I want to acknowledge that until today, I was truly sleeping in the faith; my Lord, forgive me and help me to change.
I take the initiative, inspired by this post, to rise up, to awaken from all slumber, Lord. I no longer want to be this weak Christian who only knows how to complain, who does not trust in You, who does not know how to share goods and gifts. I want to place myself at Your service, Lord; come with Your holy and pure hands to lift me from all drowsiness and all lack of seeking. Place in me this burning thirst, this insatiable hunger for Your presence, this desire to consume myself for You, Jesus, to dive into the riches of Your Holy Spirit, to discover the sacred treasures of Your Word, Father, which is Your love letter to me.
I want and ask at this moment for Your strength, Lord, to act as a true Christian. I want to shed all pretense of being a false Christian who is accustomed to or does not know Your Holy Word. I want to cast myself into the power of Your Holy Spirit and let myself be completely enveloped.
Take over my life at this moment, Holy Spirit; come and make me a strong Christian, because I do not want to be weak, I do not want to be false, I do not want to be a liar, but I want to live the Lord's word and apply it in my life. I know and acknowledge, O dear Holy Spirit, that I cannot translate Your Word into actions, into gestures, into attitudes for my life, but I want to give You freedom to powerfully mold my soul, renew my heart, my thoughts, my feelings, all that I am and all that I have, for I am already consecrated to You, Holy Spirit (as per the post "Roteiro de consagrações").
Act with power in my life, Jesus. I know that I did not perceive in my life, and I do not see today, when the Lord snatched me from the power of darkness and introduced me into Your marvelous light, making me a participant in the inheritance of the saints, but I want this for my life; I want redemption, I want the remission of sins. I accept Your Salvation, Jesus! I want with all my soul to live the joy of salvation, the true joy that springs from the Lord. I want in my life the courage that Your word provides me.
Holy and glorious Father, fill my life with Your power and give me the grace to be freed from all evil, from all vice, from all sin, from all impure and dirty words that feed my heart, because today I make the decision to feed myself with Your word, to keep it in my heart, to seek to discover the sacred treasures hidden within it, to break out of this routine and abandon these thoughts that everything will always happen in the same way. Help me, Lord. Extend Your grace to my home, to my family, to my work, over the lives of my friends, my relatives, my family members, my community, and over the entire world. Today I understood that, as a Christian, I cannot be selfish, and I want to take a step in faith, asking for Your holy grace for all those who have offended me, humiliated me, hurt me, wounded me, and given me reasons to hate them.
Pour out profusely and abundantly, Lord, Your marvelous anointing of healing, of miracles, of wonders, and signs upon all these people. With this prayer, and in my actions, I give forgiveness to all of them, desiring all good and all grace from the Lord; asking that the Lord grant them the grace to be very happy.
I praise and adore You for all this liberation that is happening within me, Holy Father. I adore You, Jesus, for giving me the grace and the opportunity to be a new Christian, who now takes possession and awareness of this marvelous experience of having my home, my heart, my life, built on the rock, which is the Lord Himself. I exalt and glorify You, Holy Spirit, for renewing me, welcoming me, loving me, healing me, restoring me, and giving me new courage to live and be free through Your action in my life. Glories forever to the Lord. Alleluia. Amen!"
Take on this commitment to be an original Christian with DDD's, Ambrósio, and Grampulino, by singing "Cristão genérico": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2-asLIJRSA
"Though free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I may win the more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win the Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law, though not being myself under the law, that I might win those under the law. To those without the law I became as one without the law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, that I might win those without the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. (1 Cor 9:19-23)
May we have the courage to undertake this experience that Saint Paul had, assuming our commitment to be true Christians, strengthened and built up in the Word of God which encourages us to be witnesses of the God whom we serve. This is the meaning of being Christians: to be other Christs for the world that lacks people who love selflessly, as Jesus loved.
May the message of Father Zezinho, SCJ, who teaches us the essence of Christianity, remain with us: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFouZjRoce4
May God bless us and free us from every spirit of sluggishness and weakness in faith.
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