In times like the present, with the uncertainty of what the future may bring and with the threat of a spirit looming like a shadow over many people, issues such as trust and freedom become particularly important and topical, even though they are always elementary for the Christian life. Eugenia Ravasio’s “Message from the Father” is particularly suited to the present situation, which is like a nightmare for many people. However, this crisis can help us to cling more deeply to God and to grow spiritually. In this way, a great freedom can be achieved, as it was with the martyrs, whose trust and love overcame even the fear of death, by God’s grace.
So let us listen to the words of the Father’s Message:
“Trust in Me as children do, because without this trust you will never be truly free. Everything I am saying to you is intended to make you realize that I come to carry out this work of love, to give you powerful help to cast off the tyrannical slavery which imprisons your souls, and to let you enjoy real freedom, whence real happiness comes. Compared with this freedom, all earthly joys are as nothing. Raise yourselves to the dignity of children of God and learn how to respect your own greatness. I will then be your Father more than ever, the most lovable and merciful of fathers.”
Here the Heavenly Father relates trust to freedom, and speaks of the tyrannical bondage that holds our soul captive. It is worth noting that He speaks to us of “true freedom”, and also in the case of trust we can specify that it is a “true trust”.
Jesus tells us: “If the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free.” (Jn 8:36). This true freedom can only come about within the framework of God’s commandments. People who, in this crisis, offer resistance to a political paternalism and perceive the tyrannical features of a kind of “health dictatorship”, are fighting for their personal freedom. Such resistance is legitimate and yet it embraces only one aspect of freedom.
The chains that are currently being imposed on people, restricting their freedom, can be interpreted as a perceptible reflection of the inner chains with which sin and fear bind men.
Let us reflect on the link between sin and fear. Before the fall into sin, man and woman lived in a close and trusting relationship with God. Having fallen into sin, they hid from God (Gen 3:8-10). Sin took away their freedom, so that a fearful relationship to God arose. To this day, this consequence of sin lies like a shadow over man. The devil has not only seduced man, but has worked tirelessly so that, having a distorted image of God, he fears Him instead of living in a relationship of deep trust with Him. This fear, associated with a false image of God, is in effect a “tyrannical bondage” and a profound deception. This can go so far as Lucifer presenting himself as a bringer of peace, offering man “freedom” to do as he pleases, but in reality subjecting him to the bondage of sin and arbitrariness.
In the words we have heard from the “Message of the Father”, He starts precisely from this root of the problem and wants us to overcome it. For people who live by the forgiveness of Jesus and follow Him sincerely, there is no objective obstacle to living in true freedom, in a trusting relationship with the Father and in the dignity of the children of God. So the chains that restrict our freedom are false information about God that is whispered to us. Perhaps we are also affected by certain negative experiences we have had with people, because we transfer them to God Himself. Whatever it is, we fall into a strong delusion if we are afraid of God. There is no reason for it! Let us keep this in mind!
Of course there is also true fear of God, which is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. But here it is about love for Him, which leads us not to want to offend our beloved Father or hurt Him in any way. So it has nothing to do with fear, but it is the gentleness of love and the reverence that goes with it. This is a readiness to grow in trust and love.
Fear, on the other hand, closes the heart and gives rise to an irrational relationship with God. This is what our Father wants to free us from! That is why He makes so many declarations of love in this Message, and invites us to trust in Him and to live in a tender relationship with Him. Perhaps we are not really aware of our lack of trust. But we might notice it if, for example, in the current crisis we are mainly driven by fear and hardly succeed in trusting God to restrain or, better still, to overcome this fear, which can come to us in many ways.
So what could help us here? A trusting dialogue with our Father! Let us place our fears and distrust or lack of trust before Him and ask Him to break the chains that paralyse and bind us. Let us tell our Father that we want to have great trust in Him. Let us take steps of trust every day, when we find ourselves in situations that puzzle us or cause us fear. Let us trust in the Father’s promise that we are His children!
A FINAL NOTICE: During the last few months, since the conclusion of the Novena to God the Father, we had invited those who felt particularly called to honour the First Person of the Blessed Trinity to report to us, as representatives of their respective nations, so that together we may give to our Heavenly Father that worship and love which He asks for in the Message given to Mother Eugenia Ravasio. If anyone had not heard this invitation and would also like to be part of this “Work of Love” of the Heavenly Father, you can still send us an email to the following address, stating your name and the country you come from: contact@jemael.org.