We are all sent by God. We are all called to mission. Let's admit that we are at least a little afraid to heed the call.
Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt
Is the LORD is calling us into unfamiliar places containing unknown dangers? Maybe we already find ourselves in Egypt, surrounded by people who don't know God don't understand us. To us God says, "Do not be afraid". He says this even though there is real danger, even though we are "sheep in the midst of wolves". It has to be this way because he is calling us to be a witness before, governors and kings and pagans. We can't stay only among sheep. Many of us aren't called to Egypt but as we find that Egypt has come to us let us not cower in fear.
You will be given at that moment what you are to say.
In this modern Egypt, this modern Babylon, this land of exile in which we are surrounded by sinners with no interest in repenting our greatest fear is not yet martyrdom and torture. Our greatest fear is often that we won't know what to say. As brothers conflict with brothers and parents with children in the land of ours we fear most that we won't know what to say. But God promises that he won't leave that up to us. He will give us the words we need. This won't necessarily mean we only experience sunshine and strawberries. We may have to bear some hatred.
You will be hated by all because of my name,
but whoever endures to the end will be saved.
We have to stand by what we know to be true. We have to remain open to God giving us his words and speaking through us. If we allow ourselves to be silenced our actions shape us, gradually and subtly drawing us away from fidelity to the Church and her truth.
Does this mean we always and everywhere say what we ourselves perceive to be the hard truths about which the world is in denial? No! We listen to God. We speak only exactly as he moves us to speak. It is our part to be ready to speak among wolves and to be hated so that we can be a witness among the pagans in this Egypt of ours. Here and now more than ever before we need to take refuge in the LORD.
The salvation of the just is from the LORD;
he is their refuge in time of distress.
If we persevere we will see the promise fulfilled.
And Israel said to Joseph, “At last I can die,
now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is still alive.”
Israel experiences a prelude to what Simeon experiences.
Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word;
for my eyes have seen your salvation
that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples (cf. Luk. 2:29).
If we preserve we will see the salvation which God has prepared, not just for us, but for all.
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