Christ asked His Apostles, "But who do you say that I am?" (Mark 8:29). Should we not ask others the same thing about ourselves? We each need to know interiorly and exteriorly who or what it is that we bring into the world. Do I bring peace and healing? Or do I bring trouble and chaos?
Why? The Evil One is always bringing discord, disunity, and discontent. The rest of us are doing our part too, to degrade, defame, and destroy what is good in ourselves and others. All you have to do is to look within and without to figure out that we've entered into a time and place of special difficulty, sadness and unrest - largely because we want it to happen.
In past decades, it was easy enough to dismiss such questions by saying that each of us brings a little of both trouble and healing. But now we must address this question in a more serious way. How do we heal so that our wounds become symbols of love and not opportunities to inflict even more pain?
Start your healing now. Continue it no matter the difficult climb. Help others along the way. Lift them up. Sacrifice for them like Christ. Protect them like His Most Holy Mother. This is how you will grow closer to God now and into eternity. And your work will be obvious because "a bad messenger brings trouble, but a faithful envoy healing" (Proverbs 13:17).
Love and forgiveness are not weaknesses, but the greatest weapons of all. They defeated the Enemy when he sought to be God. They defeated sin when they sought to destroy humanity. They will defeat all that is horrid in and above the world for all eternity by the Most Holy Trinity and in the name of Jesus the Christ in a specific way. "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid" (John 14:27).