Our Holy Father Ambrose, Bishop of Milan (397)
Hebrews 4:1-13; Luke 21:12-19
Nativity Fast.
Read Luke 21:12-19
Glory to Jesus Christ! Glory forever!
Many parishes serve Great Compline at least before the Feast of the Nativity of Christ. At the service, we hear the familiar sung refrain: “God is with us! understand all you nations, and submit yourselves: for God is with us!”
In today’s gospel reading, we are assured that Christians will be arrested and treated poorly because of Christ. However, we are not alone! Jesus instructs us “not to prepare [our] defense in advance” when we are brought before “kings and governors” because He will give us “words and a wisdom that none of [our] opponents will be able to withstand or contradict” (Lk 21:12-15). Christ sees our suffering and the trials we face in our lives, and He does not stand aside as an idle witness. He is active and gives us the tools we need to be victorious. God is with us!
Jesus exhorts us to endure our hardships for the sake of His name and assures us that we will gain our souls by doing so (Lk 21:19). It can be a big temptation to give up when life gets tough; it can be tempting to think that God has abandoned us and that we are suffering alone. However, we know this is not the case! God is always with us, even if at times we struggle to feel His presence and accept His love. By persevering through our hardships with the help of Christ, we will overcome all the darkness we encounter in life as we continue our journey towards Christ Who is our Light.