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Your ancient ruins will be rebuilt; you will build on age – old foundations. You will be called ‘Breach-mender’, ‘Restorer of streets to be lived in’. – Isaiah 58:12

The testimony of Paul is a beautiful encounter with the Lord, the creator of his life, and the proof that God is love.

When Paul was a child, he was happy like all the other children until he was afflicted with a rare disease. The heavy cross he had to bear comprised the sufferings of his body, the interior darkness, the fear of dying, depression, anger with God, hopelessness and powerlessness. But one day, God healed him! His healing was not due to his own efforts, but through the unwavering faith of his grandmother, the unceasing prayer and love of his parents and most importantly, the great mercy of Jesus who answered their prayers and healed him.

Everyone, whether you are a Christian or a non-Christian, has to bear “all sorts of crosses” in life. The big difference is that the person, especially a devout christian, will bear these crosses more willingly, simply because they will unite their sufferings with that of Christ’s. So, they know that they are not alone in this journey. If you open your eyes and look around, these people could be yourself, your family members, your neighbours, your friends, your colleagues, the homeless living on the streets, the lonely elder person who has no one to talk to, the children abandoned by their own family, the refugees who forced to fled their country due to wars and conflicts or the migrant workers who had to leave their families faraway, to earn a living. 

The strong foundation of Paul’s family was built on their committed and unwavering faith in Jesus Christ. In times of trouble, they asked Him for help and they were granted mercy. But, what about the people who do not know who Jesus is? St Paul wrote: “How then are they to call on Him if they have not come to believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard of Him? And how will they hear of Him unless there is a preacher for them? And how will there be preachers if they are not sent? As scripture says: “How beautiful are the feet of the messenger of good news.” [Romans 10:14-15]

Suffering in the world today is caused by greed and selfish ambition, when people deprive others of their rights, in order to gain wealth and possession for themselves. The rich and those in power are often scheming against each other to build their own empires of wealth. We do this too, even in the Church, we mock and close our eyes to the sufferings of the poor. If we ourselves, who are called Christians, do not practice love, charity, and peace, how can we expect our government to eradicate poverty? If we do not begin with ourselves, by sharing what we have with others, then how can we expect our children to understand our faith and believe in Jesus?

Do not judge, and you will not be judged. [Matthew 7:1] Don’t blame the government for the poverty in society and stop judging our fellow brothers and sisters, but look into the depths of our hearts and seek the Holy Spirit who lives in there. He will guide us to understand our problems and help us to rebuild our personal broken relationship with God. When our relationships with God is restored, our families will be rebuilt and our faith will be renewed.

Prophet Isaiah wrote: “Is not this the sort of fast that pleases me: to break unjust fetters, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break all yokes? Is it not sharing your food with the hungry, and sheltering the homeless poor; if you see someone lacking clothes, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own kin?

Then your light will blaze out like the dawn and your wound be quickly healed over. Saving justice will go ahead of you and Yahweh’s glory come behind you. Then you will cry for help and Yahweh will answer; you will call and he will say, ‘I am here.’

If you do away with the yoke, the clenched fist and malicious words, if you deprive yourself for the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, your light will rise in the darkness, and your darkest hour will be like noon.

Yahweh will always guide you, will satisfy your needs in the scorched land; He will give strength to your bones and you will be like a watered garden, like a flowing spring whose waters never run dry. Your ancient ruins will be rebuilt; you will build on age – old foundations. You will be called ‘Breach-mender’, ‘Restorer of streets to be lived in’.

If you refrain from breaking the Sabbath, from taking your own pleasure on my holy day, if you call the Sabbath ‘Delightful’, and the day sacred to Yahweh ‘Honourable’, if you honour it by abstaining from travel, from seeking your own pleasure and from too much talk, then you will find true happiness in Yahweh, and I shall lead you in triumph over the heights of the land. I shall feed you on the heritage of your father Jacob, for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.” – Isaiah 58:6-14