We Must Always Strive to Obtain the Strength of God

In our weakness, we can find strength—yet not of human kind.

The strength that comes, particularly in our most difficult hour, is the strength of God. However, we will not find it if we do not reach for it.

Perhaps we think we can get through life’s travails without the strength of God. Maybe so. However, the wounds we experience may leave us with scars that cause a hardening of the heart. With the strength of God, we never lose heart.

To obtain this strength, we need to follow the path that our Lord laid out for us when He walked upon this earth. The steps we take with our Savior fortify our faith, our hope, and especially our love.

Therefore, let us consider the following:

Our Journey Ahead

On the day of Christ’s Resurrection, Jesus walked with two disciples on the road to Emmaus. They did not recognize Jesus as He spoke to them. Jesus later took bread, blessed it and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened. They recognized Christ who then vanished from their sight.

“Were not our hearts burning [within us] while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?” [Luke 24: 32]

Through the Scriptures, Christ prepares us to receive the Holy Eucharist; and through the Holy Eucharist, Christ gives Himself entirely to each of us. Like the two disciples, our Lord lifts up our hearts and gives us strength for the road ahead of us.

And when He appeared in the midst of the Apostles, Jesus said “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” With that, Jesus breathed upon them and said “Receive the holy Spirit” [John 24: 21, 22]. Like the Apostles, the Holy Spirit is ours to guide us in our thoughts and deeds each day.

Life with our Lord

Through the Scriptures, the Holy Eucharist, and the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we are united with our Lord. We are given the grace that enables us to live without ever losing hope in whatever circumstance or challenge we may face. We have the strength that only faith in our Lord can give and that we can share through our acts of charity.

Therefore, we must never hesitate or fear to reach out to our Lord even when we are downcast or doubtful. Our Lord seeks us out with His merciful love, especially in our most vulnerable hour. Through Him, we are healed!

Truly, our Lord wants us to have peace in our lives and in our world. We can obtain the peace of our Lord through the sacrament of penance, wiping away sins that weaken the heart and soul. This way we are able to maintain a loving dwelling place for our Lord within us so that He can live through us all the days of our lives. Doing so, we are never without the strength of God.

Therefore, this Easter Season, let us replenish our faith, our hope and our love through God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And as we prepare for Pentecost, let us find strength in our Lord’s promise: “I will never take back my love:/ my truth will never fail.” [Psalm 89: 34]. Amen!