English
EspañolGod doesn´t deliver those who love him and their families from the sufferings of life. However, he accompanies and comforts them, giving them light, meaning, and strength. He makes them bear fruit
Text
“Jesus himself was born into a modest family that soon had to flee to a foreign land. He visits the home of Peter, whose mother-in-law is ill (cf. Mk 1:30-31), and shows sympathy upon hearing of deaths in the homes of Jairus and Lazarus (cf. Mk 5:22-24, 35-43; Jn 11:1-44). He hears the desperate wailing of the widow of Nain for her dead son (cf. Lk 7:11-15) and heeds the plea of the father of an epileptic child in a small country town (cf. Mk 9:17-27) …” (The Joy of Love, n.21)
“In this brief review, we can see that the word of God is not a series of abstract ideas but rather a source of comfort and companionship for every family that experiences difficulties or suffering. For it shows them the goal of their journey, when God “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore” (Rev 21:4).” (The Joy of Love, n.22)
Commentary
After my dear grandfather, Victor died, I saw how pain and suffering materialized on the face of my eight uncles and mother; it seemed as if nothing could comfort them, as if they had lost everything. I remember several hours during which all of my cousins, some teenagers, and some young children, felt the same way. We went through many feelings, but above all, we were baffled.
Due to specific circumstances, the family my grandparents formed was not especially pious; however, that does not stop God when he wants to act. All of a sudden, one of my cousins suggested praying a Rosary to the Virgin Mary for the soul of my grandfather, for God to take him to heaven.
I´m not quite sure if I was the only one who could feel it. Still, it was real. As the Hail Mary´s went by, each decade of the Rosary after the next, I saw how the faces of my uncles, mother, and cousins changed: There was still suffering – because that is the natural reaction – but there was also peace. We found comfort in Someone who can do it all. We could not do anything more for our grandfather; however, God could…and that gave us comfort and safety. That gave us so much peace. I said to myself: I am going to leave space and time to God so that He can manifest in my life the Love that He is!
