Remain Tranquil

“Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear.” Isaiah 7:4

The prophet Isaiah lived through the awful days of the civil war between Israel and Judah in 734 to 732 B.C. In chapter 7 of Isaiah, we find King Ahaz and his people worrying, alarmed and thrown into a panic  because the Kings of Aram and Israel were coming to invade Judah and take Jerusalem. 

Isaiah goes to King Ahaz with this message from God: “Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear.... Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm.” 

In our life, we encounter many battles. ‘Armies’ come against us, some are invisible, some come in the form of words, seldom do we see guns aimed at us. But we do have real enemies that cause us to panic and be alarmed just like King Ahaz and his people. 

Today is the start of the 3 day fast in answer to the armies arrayed against us in our country. Here is part of the CBCP’s Pastoral letter:

“On July 16, 2018 on the feast of the Blessed Mother of Mt. Carmel, the mountain associated with the bold challenge of the prophet Elijah, let us spend a day of prayer and penance, invoking God’s mercy and justice on those who have blasphemed God’s Holy Name, those who slander and bear false witness, and those who commit murder or justify murder as a means for fighting criminality in our country. We invite you to join us, your bishops, in three days of fasting, prayer and almsgiving from July 17 to 19, 2018.”

Do we have faith that prayer and fasting is mightier than the swords and guns of men? Unless our faith is firm, we shall not be firm. Let us stand together, rejoicing that we have a God who fights our battles for us.