We Are Not Alone

Near the end of his letter, the author of Hebrews reminded his readers-and all of usthat we are surrounded by a great "cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1). It's as if he wanted us to imagine ourselves in a large sports stadium, with the saints-all those who have gone to heaven before us-sitting in the stands cheering us on.

These saints are our brothers and sisters in the Lord, and many of their life stories have been etched into our minds. Who among us has not been inspired by the way they lived and the witness they displayed? Who among us has not been moved by their love, their compassion, their hard work, and their dedication?

If these great saints really were physically present among us, they would encourage us to run the race with zeal and perseverance, to love other people as fully as we can, and to fix our eyes on Jesus. They may not be with us physically, but they are with us spiritually. They're always on our side, urging us on and filling us with hope. What's more, we shouldn't think that these saints are testifying to something beyond our grasp. They aren't urging us to reach for something that only a few "special" people are meant to attain. No, they want us to know that everything is possible through Christ Jesus.

Every saint who makes up this great cloud of witnesses has already inherited God's promise of eternal life. Even here on earth, we have had a taste of this eternal inheritance. Still, our experience of God's love and joy is just a dim reflection of what the saints are now experiencing (1 Corinthians 13:12). Our job is to make that dim reflection a bit more clear each day. With God's grace and with the saints' encouragement, we really can fulfill this goal.

I hope the saints we selected for this issue-St. Ignatius of Eoyola, Blessed Jeanne jugan, and St. John Bosco-will inspire you to open your heart to Jesus even more, to grow in love for him, and to run the race of life with more passion and more perseverance.

Recalling 9/11. This month marks the third anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States. As we recall this tragedy and pray for its victims, I want to bring up the theme of our April, 2002, issue: "I Am He Who Comforts You." In that issue, which focused on the way the world has changed since 9/11, we talked about how we can control our lives only to a point-for as you know, even tomorrow is a mystery. While uncertainty has always been an uncomfortable dimension of life, that uncertainty seems to have increased these past three years. Our best response to the changes in the world-a response that all the saints chose-is to seek the kingdom of God before everything else. This is our path to peace. This is the best way we can keep ourselves from living in fear, anxiety, or revenge.

I'd like to ask you to join me and the whole WAU staff in prayer on this September 11. Together, let's ask Jesus to shower this world with his peace, his love, and most of all, his hope. Let's ask him to renew our church so that we can all become a light to the rest of the world, just as the saints before us have been. May God bless you.

Your Brother in Christ,

Joe Difato

Publisher

(joe@wau.org)

Joe Difato

Publisher

(joe@wau.org)

Copyright Word Among Us Sep 2004
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