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Word of life

Peter, James, and John go up a high mountain with Jesus, and there they see the glory of the Master and hear the voice of the Father who recognizes him as his Son. An extraordinary experience, face to face with God, that allows his creature to know him in his splendor. Fear has caused them to fall to the ground, but Jesus touches them and says, «Get up, do not be afraid.» The verb «get up» is the same one the Gospel often uses to express resurrection, just as «do not be afraid“ are the first words the Risen One addresses to the women at the empty tomb after greeting them (Mt 28:10; cf. 28:5). Thus, Jesus” words, strong and clear, are a decisive invitation to a new life, which is possible for the disciples with the touch of his hand. We too are sometimes held back by our fears, burdened by life’s trials, by seemingly hopeless situations. We cannot rely solely on our own strength to regain the momentum of our witness, but rather on the grace of God, which always precedes us. »Who does not go through trials? These take the form of failure, poverty, depression, doubt, temptation… […] The materialistic and individualistic society that surrounds us, with its wars, violence, and injustices, is also frightening… Faced with these situations, doubt may also arise: where has God’s love gone? […] Jesus has truly entered into every suffering, he has borne all our trials […] He is Love, and it is characteristic of love to cast out all fear. Every time fear assails us, every time we are overwhelmed by pain, we can recognize the true reality hidden there: it is Jesus, who makes himself present […] let us allow him to enter our lives. And then, let us continue to live what God wants of us, launching ourselves into loving our neighbor.« We will discover that Jesus is always Love. Then we will be able to say to him, like the disciples: »Truly you are the Son of God« (Mt 14:33)[1]. «Get up, do not be afraid.» Those who have experienced encountering God in their lives are captivated by his presence, touched and healed by his Word. Often, the witness of a Christian community accompanies us on this divine adventure and gives us the encouragement to get up, to step outside ourselves and resume the journey with Jesus and with our brothers and sisters. We share the testimony of a young Syrian woman: «At the end of last year, my country went through a very difficult situation, and my city suffered a wave of chaos and fear. I was deeply worried about my family, my friends, and myself. In the midst of so much uncertainty, I tried to maintain my hope in God, striving to be strong despite everything. Before these events, together with the young people with whom I am committed to living the Gospel, we had planned several projects to support families in need through food packages and other initiatives. But this situation forced us to temporarily suspend all activity. After a few days, we managed to meet again: in that meeting, we found strength and courage in one another. We decided not to let fear overcome us, but to put our trust in Jesus and resume the journey we had begun. With shared faith, we were able to help more than 40 families who truly needed assistance. In the midst of these difficulties, we felt that thanks to God's love and our unity, we could make a difference. «Rise, do not be afraid.» «Having gone up the mountain with Jesus to encounter God and hear his voice, we can descend with him to «[…] return to the plain, where we find many brothers and sisters who endure hardships, illness, injustice, ignorance, and material and spiritual poverty»[2]. “As a Christian community, we too can suffer and become confused, but this Word urges us to set out together to bring to everyone ‘the fruits of our experience with God and to share the grace we have received’[3].” Letizia Magri and the Word of Life team [1] C. Lubich, Word of Life August 2002.[2] Cf. Francis, Angelus, 16-3-2014.[3] Ibid.

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Translations into different languages are initially obtained automatically from Spanish. Although they are subsequently manually revised, we cannot be held responsible for any errors or inaccuracies that may occur in these translations.

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