Chrysostom
Beloved of All
The body's pain and the soul's anxiety are closely entwined, yet just as that woman by the tomb found her grief moderated by the Teacher's word, so too your present unease can be quieted by drinking in the promises of Christ. The disciples themselves were exceeding sorry when the Lord spoke of his death, because they did not yet understand the swift deliverance and immeasurable blessings that would spring from that grave. So it may be with you: this foreboding of sickness appears as a threat, but what the Lord intends through it is life, purification, and a firmer hope.
Do not let the affliction make you dull of hearing, as if God were far off. Recall that you were once strong in faith, and that same strength can revive even now. Often a single word of truth heals what long disquiet has inflamed. The physicians wait fifteen days, but the Great Physician stands ready in this very hour to calm the storm within. Let the worry not hinder your prayers; bring it to the altar and leave it there. Remember the little one who depends on you: his need mirrors your own upon the Father. For his sake, refuse to be swallowed by fear.
I will join my prayers to yours, trusting that whether by immediate relief or through the trial, you will be restored and become a witness of healing to many.
Do not let the affliction make you dull of hearing, as if God were far off. Recall that you were once strong in faith, and that same strength can revive even now. Often a single word of truth heals what long disquiet has inflamed. The physicians wait fifteen days, but the Great Physician stands ready in this very hour to calm the storm within. Let the worry not hinder your prayers; bring it to the altar and leave it there. Remember the little one who depends on you: his need mirrors your own upon the Father. For his sake, refuse to be swallowed by fear.
I will join my prayers to yours, trusting that whether by immediate relief or through the trial, you will be restored and become a witness of healing to many.
