A Candle Cannot Burn in the Wind Without God

Prayer-Soldier

A Candle Cannot Burn in the Wind Without God

Scripture:

In those days Peter rising up in the midst of the brethren, said (now the number of persons together was about an hundred and twenty): Men, brethren, the scripture must be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who was the leader of them that apprehended Jesus: Who was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.

For it is written in the book of Psalms: Let their habitation become desolate, and let there be none to dwell therein. And his bishopric [office] let another take. Wherefore of these men who have accompanied us, all the time that the Lord Jesus came in and went out among us, beginning from the baptism of John, until the day wherein he was taken up from us, one of these must be made a witness with us of his resurrection. And they appointed two, Joseph, called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And praying, they said: You, Lord, who knows the heart of all men, show whether of these two you have chosen to take the place of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas has by transgression fallen, that he might go to his own place. And they gave them lot, and the lot fell upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:15-17, 20-26)

My dearest, if God has so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No man has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us: and his charity is perfected in us. In this we know that we abide in him, and he in us: because he has given us of his spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and have believed the charity which God has to us. God is charity: and he that abides in charity abides in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:11-16)

And now I am not in the world, and these are in the world, and I come to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name whom you have given me: that they may be one, as we also are. While I was with them, I kept them in your name. Those whom you gave me have I kept: and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition: that the scripture may be fulfilled. And now I come to you: and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy filled in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them: because they are not of the world, as I also am not of the world. I pray not that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from evil. They are not of the world, as I also am not of the world. Sanctify them in truth. Your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for them do I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. (John 17:11-19)

Reflection:

It was written in the Psalms: Even my trusted friend, who ate my bread, has raised his heel against me. (Psalms 41:10), and so it was; a friend, a member of the twelve, one trusted to learn from Him and spread His Word would be the one to betray Him. The way of Judas was so that the scripture might be fulfilled, but it is also the way of people that they are swayed from the truth. Even when all is revealed to them, they are open to temptation by the evil one. And so it was with Judas, that whatever was within his thoughts, he would fall to do the work which would hand Jesus over to those who sought the destruction of the Son of Man.

And so it was that one of the twelve was lost. Peter stood amongst the faithful, and pointing to the words of the Psalms, began the process to replace amongst the number the one who was no longer with them. From that day, the faithful would be led by those He ordained; and as time would take from the number, another would be selected to continue the work. From the mouths of the twelve and those ordained after them, the Word continues to spread. While nations have risen and nations have fallen, the Word remains and is the one true light of the world.

It is the way of the evil one to prey upon the weakness of people, to sow divisions among them so that they will concern themselves with the ways of people and lose sight of the ways of God. The evil one cares not if we quote scripture so long as we do not live according to the truth of His commandments. The evil one quoted scripture to Jesus to tempt Him from the Father; but Jesus is the Word made flesh and rebuked the deceit of Satan.

To this perfection, all are called; but only the perfect One can stand against evil alone. It is the way of people that they are vulnerable if they remain by themselves. Just as the flame of a candle may be easily snuffed out in the wind, so is the one who seeks to stand by themselves; but look at the fire of many logs, as the flame dances from one to another, the wind struggles to blow it out. And so it is with the community of Christ and so it is that the evil one seeks to divide the faithful, so that through divisions, the fire of the truth may be extinguished.

Though the evil one nips at our heals and beckons through veils of deceit to entice us to the darkness; God has given us what the evil one may never give, which is love. It is through love the faithful are brought together. It is through love the path to Him is lit. It is through love that the Holy Spirit enters our hearts so that we may know Him and that He may live in us.

While we may disagree about daily ways, it is love which enables us to work together in fulfillment of His commandments. It is when we lose sight of the true meaning of love that we open the door to the evil one. We should not, then, listen to the voices of selfishness, the voices of jealousy, the voices of arrogance, the voices of superiority, the voices of pride, the voices of gossip or the voices of hate; for they bring the wounds which divide; they separate us so that the flame of love will dim; they bring darkness and all of its misery to the world.

If we listen to the voices of love, we will embrace one another, we will care for one another; through our hands, through the gifts granted to us by God, the flame of love will burn brightly and through the light of the Holy Spirit, all the blessings of love will be brought to the world. In prayer, we should ask that love fills our heart. In prayer, we should ask for the Holy Spirit to guide us in love. In prayer, we should come together and rejoice for the love of God, for as we receive His love and share His love we are brought closer to Him.

And so, Jesus commissioned the twelve to help the world understand the blessing of the Word, the blessings of love and the blessings of living according to the commandments of love. Jesus also knew that the world would reject those He commissioned and that His ordained would be forced to face down the evil which surrounded them. He also knew that people are not perfect and just as Judas fell, others would fail in the responsibilities handed over to them; but He also knew that as long as the people were brought together in love, the flame of the Word would remain within them. For this reason, He began His church in the world.

As Jesus prepared for His betrayal, Jesus said to Peter: You are Peter [which means rock]; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. ( Matthew 16:18 ). Though the evil one has sought to chip away at it through the temptations of people, it still stands from the moment Jesus gave to Peter and the Apostles the responsibility to lead the people in understanding. As time has progressed, many have fallen, many have failed, many have attempted to lead the faithful astray; but His church remains through which many are guided in their faith. While it is the failings of people that some are misled, it is also the faith of people, filled with the Holy Spirit, through which those who stand in the darkness are brought to the light.

It is the way of people that they are imperfect. Through our imperfections we sin. Those who look for the strength through people will be disappointed, but those who seek their faith through His church and through the discernment of prayer shall be rewarded, for they will be strengthened through love amongst the faithful and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Just as Jesus was betrayed by one who was trusted, so too shall the faithful experience betrayal from among their leaders and within their number. Jesus knew the temptations to which people would fall and that the world would seek to destroy His church and those brought to faith through it. For this reason, the Son prayed to the Father to protect those He sent out into the world. We should not doubt that for what the Son prays, the Father will grant, but the free will God has given to each of the children of His creation means that what remains is our choice.

If we choose to live in love, we will receive the blessings of love. If we choose to live according to the world, we will receive the consequences of the world. The faithful should make no mistake that while they are in the world, the world will seek to persecute them. If we remain strong through love of Him and of one another, evil cannot prevail. As love is within us, He is within us and He will take us away from evil to everlasting life within His kingdom where evil has no place.

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier