Apr 6 Sun
Is there a remedy for my interior disgrace?
When our Lord received the news of Lazarus' illness, He stayed two days longer in the place where He was. Was He ignoring Lazarus?
“This could sometimes happen to us. Lord, see, I am sick. Lord, you died on the Cross out of love for me: come and heal me. And it seems as though Jesus does not hear our prayer. Trust, my child, and persevere in calling upon that loving Heart. See what He tells his disciples: ‘Lazarus sleeps, our friend is sleeping.’ Our Lord understands that we can fall asleep. He wants us to trust in him. No matter what happens, he can bring us back to life." St. Josemaría
At other times, Jesus does not wait for us to tell him anything. It is enough for us to be humble, and weep over our wretchedness and the fact that we are made of clay. “Our Lord's mercy is infinite and his immense Wisdom knows all our good desires, all our love for him.
“He also knows that everything, all those divine things, are carried in a clay vessel that can easily break. What happens then? We do what is usually done to a broken clay vessel: the pieces are put back together, and once the staples that hold the pieces together are in place, it takes on a special charm. The clay vessel continues to be useful."
“Do not let your past falls, nor the possibility of future mistakes, worry you. Let us entrust ourselves to God's loving hands. Let's present him with those desires of holiness and apostolate that are the common aim of us all, and which have made us members of this supernatural family. And then the vase will not break; and even if it does, it will be mended; and it will acquire a new charm and will continue being useful in a marvelous way, both for our holiness and for the apostolate too."
The resurrection of Lazarus shows us that everything has a remedy.
A large stone covered the entrance to the tomb. Lazarus was dead and decaying. The air was foul. “Don't you see? Apparently, there was no more that could be done. How often have I told you that our faithfulness is forged out of the struggle of every moment, with all our wretchedness and errors! Woe, pity those who do not fight! They lose their interior life, and it's very difficult to raise a dead person to life. Nevertheless, you have seen how the dead do come back to life when they hear the voice of God: Lazarus, come out."
“If earthly things don't move you, at least let Christ's voice move you. Lazarus came back to life because he heard God's voice and he wanted to get out of that state. If he had not wanted to move, he would not have come back to life. And what about you? Do you want to?"
As the eternal God raised Lazarus from the dead. In His love for us, He will lift us to everlasting life.
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