Main news for 8 April 2023

This phrase is spoken by Jesus within His prophecy about coming disasters and persecutions, and it is in exactly this context that it should be considered. Moreover, the question is not the patience of all kinds of people in all kinds of difficult situations, but Christians during persecutions against them. This does not mean that we should look with Olympian calm at injustices or violence happening near us; Jesus Himself intervened, and quite promptly, in such cases. But when persecutions are "unfolded" against us, then He calls us not to be impatient. As the basis for this He sets trust that God holds our life in His hands, which means we can avoid hurrying with our own reaction and can allow Him to act.

Someone said that in a critical situation we have two options: reaction and response. Reaction is what happens immediately; it comes from us ourselves, "from the flesh." Response is where we have stopped our first reaction, endured it, and given God the possibility to enter into action, God who never acts without our permission. It is no accident that Jesus says in the preceding phrases that we should not prepare, should not train our reaction in advance, but should trust that God will give His response. When by such patience we stop ourselves, God enters our life and accomplishes our salvation.