Chrysostom
Good and Faithful Servant
The cry of a troubled heart always pierces the heavens, and it is good that you run to the Lord with such urgency. But consider: the preservation of this earthly life is not the highest good. What profit is there if a man should save his life and yet lose his own soul? The body may recover today and perish tomorrow; the soul, once lost, knows no recovery. So let your prayer stretch beyond the sickbed. Plead for mercy, as the blind men did, with no other claim but mercy. Yet plead above all that he may eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, that he may have eternal life, whether he remain here a little longer or depart to be with Christ.
Do not cling to this life as though it were your own. Your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ shall appear, then shall you truly live. So set your mind on things above, not on the things of the earth. If the Lord grants recovery, receive it as an undeserved gift and give thanks; if He takes the one you love, do not murmur. For if we bear losses thankfully, our reward will be greater. I know the aching of your heart, but I must speak the truth: too often we pray as though this world were our home. It is not. The saints who prayed for Peter did not demand his release; they entrusted him to God. Do the same. Cry out with tears, but let your prayer end with, "Thy will be done." Whether in life or in death, the Lord's purpose is love. Watch, then, and be sober. For none of us knows the hour when we shall be called. Let the dread of losing a soul stir you to greater vigilance for your own. And if you need the help of the saints, seek it; but do not neglect your own watching. For if we sleep, the prayers of others profit nothing. Wake, then, and trust the Lord to do what is right. He hears. He cares. He will act.
Do not cling to this life as though it were your own. Your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ shall appear, then shall you truly live. So set your mind on things above, not on the things of the earth. If the Lord grants recovery, receive it as an undeserved gift and give thanks; if He takes the one you love, do not murmur. For if we bear losses thankfully, our reward will be greater. I know the aching of your heart, but I must speak the truth: too often we pray as though this world were our home. It is not. The saints who prayed for Peter did not demand his release; they entrusted him to God. Do the same. Cry out with tears, but let your prayer end with, "Thy will be done." Whether in life or in death, the Lord's purpose is love. Watch, then, and be sober. For none of us knows the hour when we shall be called. Let the dread of losing a soul stir you to greater vigilance for your own. And if you need the help of the saints, seek it; but do not neglect your own watching. For if we sleep, the prayers of others profit nothing. Wake, then, and trust the Lord to do what is right. He hears. He cares. He will act.
