Divine Appeal Reflection - 3
Today, consider in Divine Appeal 3: "I am at your side. No one can harm you."
The Epistles teach us that nothing can harm the soul anchored in Christ, because its life is already hidden with Him in God (cf. Col 3:3). Saint Paul speaks of being “struck down but not destroyed” (cf. 2 Cor 4:9), showing that outward harm cannot reach the inner sanctuary where Christ dwells. Harm may touch the fragile vessel of clay, but the treasure within remains untouchable. This is confirmed by Saint Peter, who states that when our faith is put to the test by fire, it shines more preciously than gold (cf. 1 Pet 1:7). Harm, then, only reveals whether our anchor holds firm. To live inseparably united to Our Adorable Jesus is to walk in this freedom: though mocked, misunderstood, or wounded, the soul is carried in His nearness. The greatest fidelity is to guard this hidden union. The Catechism indeed affirms that divine providence orders even suffering toward sanctification (cf. CCC 313). Thus, a soul anchored in Him is not paralyzed by fear but strengthened in trust. Persecution, sickness, or loss may bruise the surface, yet they cannot uproot the eternal life already begun within. Fidelity is to stay anchored, to say with Paul: “Nothing will separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus” (cf. Rom 8:39).
The danger is not external harm but voluntary separation. The Epistle to the Hebrews exhorts us not to drift from what we have heard (cf. Heb 2:1), for neglect, compromise, or disbelief loosen the anchor of salvation. Bodily injury endures but for a time, yet separation from God weighs upon eternity. According to James, trials, if faced with faith, do not destroy but purify, for it is through enduring that the soul attains maturity unto perfection (cf. Jas 1:2–4). Therefore, wounds cannot deprive a soul of dignity, whereas unbelief gnaws at its very life in God. In daily life, this means that the nurse who perseveres in compassion amid exhaustion, the leader who remains just when bribery whispers, or the young person who resists peer pressure are proving that nothing should separate them from Christ. Each one lives the teaching of Saint John: “He who abides in love abides in God” (cf. 1 Jn 4:16). Fidelity is not passive endurance but active clinging, cultivated in prayer and nourished by sacrament (cf. CCC 162). It is choosing again and again, even in weakness, to remain in His nearness. The harm of ridicule, fatigue, or material loss cannot destroy the anchored soul. Only the choice to let go could separate us—and this is the only danger we must fear.
The Epistles reveal that suffering itself, when anchored in Christ, is transformed into communion. Paul tells the Philippians that his chains advanced the Gospel (cf. Phil 1:12–14). What appeared as harm became hidden fruitfulness. In addressing the Corinthians, Paul affirms that present afflictions are light when weighed against the eternal glory prepared for us (cf. 2 Cor 4:17). To the Colossians, he unveils a deeper mystery: his own sufferings are mysteriously joined to Christ’s for the upbuilding of His Body, the Church (cf. Col 1:24). Here fidelity transfigures harm into intercession. The widow who turns her loneliness into prayer, the laborer who unites sweat with Christ’s cross, the teacher who bears hostility for truth—all become hidden apostles, advancing salvation not by success but by endurance. The Catechism explains that united with Christ, every offering becomes a spiritual sacrifice (cf. CCC 901). Separation would make trials meaningless; fidelity makes them salvific. Anchored souls do not deny suffering but enter its depths with Jesus, discovering communion more profound than comfort. In this way, suffering no longer harms but sanctifies, because the soul has learned to echo Paul: “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (cf. 2 Cor 12:10).
The Eucharist crowns this teaching, for in it the soul enters the unbreakable bond no harm can reach. Paul proclaims that in the chalice we share the Blood of Christ, and in the bread we partake of His Body (cf. 1 Cor 10:16). Here separation is the only danger, for to receive Him worthily is to abide in a bond stronger than death. According to Hebrews, Christ is the anchor of our soul, firm and steady, holding us secure beyond the veil where the eternal life has already come into being (cf. Heb 6:19). A believer is steady with Him as the anchor through persecution, sickness, and hidden obscurity. Harm may press against the flesh, yet it cannot sever communion when the heart clings to Him. The Catechism teaches that hope, anchored in heaven, sustains and strengthens us in trial (cf. CCC 1821). Fidelity is found not in escaping wounds but in refusing to be separated from Jesus. The body may be bruised, yet the soul is harmed only if it chooses to turn away. To stay rooted in Christ is to partake in the life of resurrection, experiencing a joy that no darkness can smother (cf. Jn 11:25). All tears will be washed away in Him, and the greatest human desire—to fit in without fear—will be eternally satisfied (cf. Rev 21:4). Communion with Him remains, so does fidelity, and the grounded soul rests in the unwavering conviction that nothing can ever separate it from the eternally present Love (cf. Rom 8:38–39).Here lies the promise: no one, nothing, no power on earth or in hell, can truly harm the soul whose anchor is Christ.
Prayer
Adorable Jesus, keep our souls anchored in You alone. Let no trial, temptation, or sorrow ever divide us from Your infinite love. Make fidelity our unwavering strength, perseverance our abiding joy, and union with You our eternal treasure. May our hearts resound forever with Your promise: nothing shall separate us from You, our Lord. Amen
Sr. Anna Ali of the Most Holy Eucharist, intercede for us.
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