Third Sunday after Pentecost

Abbaye de Lagrasse

There is one sentence in today’s epistle that merits being reminded of: God has care of you. (I Peter5:7) How often do we forget this fact! How often do we worry about things which are already in the hands of our Father! Poor men of little Faith that we are! Oh I know, it is very human and we are not so different than Martha who is upset because she does the work of her sister. We are not so different than the disciples who wake up Jesus because they think they are perishing. We are not so different than Philip who wonders how a great crowd can be fed with only a few loaves of bread. We are men of little faith, and because of this we worry. And often worry leads to suspicion and suspicion leads to judgment.

Someone in such a state cannot discern well what comes from the good spirit and what comes from the evil spirit. Then enclosed in himself he starts to brood. At this point, if only he could think that God takes care of him. But this thought which could give him peace is far from his mind. The evil spirit keeps him prisoner of his black thoughts and then, when he sees someone favored by the grace of God, he envies him. Like the Pharisees of the gospel, he thinks: This man receives sinners, and eats with them. (Luke 15:2) But Jesus came precisely for sinners, which means for each one of us. He came to put joy where there is sadness, to put hope where there is despair and to bring His grace where there is sin. So, when He gives His favors to someone, you should rejoice, as He invites us in the gospel to do: Rejoice with me! (Luke 15:6, 9)

But our adversary, the devil, is around us, like a lion, and does the opposite work of Jesus. Where there is joy, he brings sadness. Where there is hope, he brings despair. Where there is confidence, he brings doubt and suspicion. Where there is friendship, he brings rivalries. But we can resist him, because we are free and because God gives us his grace. Saint Peter tells us that all the brothers have the same temptations. (I Peter 5:9) Satan lets nobody alone. You can resist him if you are strong in your Faith. And Faith will bring confidence and will remove the black ideas out of your soul.

Now, with Saint Francis de Sales, let me ask you a question: What does God asks from us? ‘My son, give me thy heart!’ (Prov.23: 26) If you don’t trust God enough and still worry, you would answer: How can I give Him my heart which is full of disobedience toward His will? If you say, or just think that, then you need to hear what Saint Francis de Sales tells you: o poor man, why are you upset? Why do you refuse to give your heart as it is now? God did not tell you: give me a pure heart as the heart of an angel or of Our Lady. He just says: give me thy heart. He wants your heart. Give it to Him as it is.
Dear brethren, here is the way to obtain a great confidence in God and then a true peace. Give your heart to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He will take care of you, as He already does, but maybe you don’t realize it now. Give up the troubles of your heart and turn to your God with a great confidence. Then Satan will have no more power over you.
May Our Blessed Mother help us to find comfort and consolation in the Heart of her Son.