285th Meditation
“Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life” (Rev 2:10).
These words are addressed by the glorified Lord to the “angel of the Church of Smyrna” in the Book of Revelation, calling us all to the generous surrender of our lives.
Our Father teaches us through His Son: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13). And He Himself, in the Person of His Son, gives us an example and invites us to do the same.
In this way, our gaze transcends the essentials of existence. It is love that is able to overcome those boundaries imposed by the fear of death and the desire to secure our earthly life. Even greater than our life is the One who gave us life. Even stronger than death is the One who will raise us from death. Our Father rewards faithfulness to Him with the “crown of eternal life”.
Love is so central that everything else takes second place and is subordinate to it. The Apostle to the Gentiles underlines it in these terms: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Cor 13:1). And the Father assures us in the Message to Mother Eugenia: “Love pays for everything”.
These words of the Apocalypse become an invitation from God for us to give Him our response of love. He not only enables us to know His love; He also enables us to make our life, however limited, transcend the immensity of divine love. With each act of faithfulness to our Father, God’s greatest gift – charity – permeates our lives and, through us, this world. Every act of faithfulness to God increases love on earth and prevents the desert of life from becoming parched without the water of life. Every act of faithfulness unites us to our Lord, who was faithful to the Father until death. Every act of faithfulness unites us to the Mother of the Lord, who stood by Him even at the foot of the cross.
In times of persecution, the Church flourishes thanks to the faithfulness of those who “follow the Lamb wherever He goes” (Rev 14:4).
On the Cross on Calvary our Father erected the sign of His love. On the Cross on Calvary we receive the strength to correspond to this love and to be faithful until death. On the Cross on Calvary the power of evil is broken and the victory of love is proclaimed.