The light shines in the darkness (Jn 1, 5)<\/i><\/p>\n
Providence never abandons believers during nights of doubts and dangers.\u00a0 For those with faith, the menacing darkness is an opportunity to receive light.\u00a0 It is because salvation requires, in the first place, night\u2019s retreat and calm (cf Is 30, 15).\u00a0 Of course, we are likewise expected to cooperate and follow God\u2019s instruction.\u00a0 But we will not know it without the recollection and quiet that are necessary to hear God.<\/p>\n
The angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to righteous Joseph, troubled by an impending divorce.\u00a0 Now the angel tells him in a dream of Herod\u2019s plot.\u00a0 Later on, the Holy Family will leave Egypt for Galilee to settle down in Nazareth, in accordance with two more angelic interventions in dreams.\u00a0 The Magi from the East were warned too in a dream, so they did not return to Herod, the chief priests and the scribes.<\/p>\n
God instructs us also who are afflicted with so many evils, such as the grave violations of fundamental human rights, wars, inequality, poverty, injustice, individualism, egocentrism and consumerism (Pope Francis, Fraternity, the Foundation and Pathway to Peace<\/i>).\u00a0 And certainly the Pope is a messenger that God makes use of in order to call us out of darkness into his marvelous light.\u00a0 His exhortations are very valuable for a prayerful reflection\u2014in the retreat and silence of Nazareth (Paul VI)\u2014that is geared toward a life of doing good.\u00a0 Through Pope Francis, God reveals to today\u2019s world salvation and blessing, the meaning of the name of Mary\u2019s son.<\/p>\n
The blessing that saves does not come either from palaces, or from wealth and power, or from the certainty of experts.\u00a0 It has nothing in common with indifference to other people\u2019s sufferings.<\/p>\n
The self-sufficient and the indifferent deny that we are all children of God.\u00a0 But we are, and we have responsibility for each other.\u00a0 In this regard, our model is the Holy Family, where love reigns, which forbids all domination and manifests itself in respect, compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness, peace, thankfulness.<\/p>\n
And these virtues of the family mean that, if we are before a situation of misery similar to that which St. Vincent de Paul faced in Chatill\u00f4n, we will do as he did.\u00a0 That is to say, we will be the sacraments of our merciful Father and effective instruments of relief.\u00a0 We will see to it also that others do the same, so that, with so many people helping, we could speak of a procession (Coste IX, 243), the Eucharist being its source and summit.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"