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Writer's pictureSarah Raad

Graces

When we can have faith and cling to it in this life, nothing can truly ever cause us harm.

"Let the little children come unto Me..."

This morning, when I checked on the progress of the beautiful little baby Charbel, his grandmother told me that his mother was worried because the doctor who had administered the medication that contributed to his cardiac arrest some weeks ago was now back on the ward this weekend. Moreover, this doctor mocks Charbel’s parents, laughing at them for talking to their “Spiritual Friends” during this time when their “Earthly Friends” give them no hope, discarding baby Charbel without seeing that he is so fearfully made.

At this news I had a strange and overwhelming feeling of supernatural JOY!

How strange, you might ask, to feel JOY when this child and his family suffer so? How strange, you might ask, to feel JOY when baby Charbel’s mother and father feel such fear and pain? How strange, to feel JOY when this child’s life is threatened?


But I ask instead, how strange NOT to feel JOY at the witness of such Grace?


Baby Charbel, baptised, confirmed and having received the last rights is ready for Heaven – the Blessed Eucharist remains with him (Blessed Carlo would be proud). His doctors told his parents that he should be dead many many days ago.


They were in a word – wrong.


Instead, baby Charbel is surrounded by the Communion of Saints. He is seeing God’s own face, held in the palm of God’s own hand and embraced by Our Blessed Mother. Charbel can see this Holy Heavenly sight while he lies unconscious – that is what he is doing with his time, while we pray. Charbel is entirely without sin. As such, he suffers so for OUR salvation.


Charbel chooses to stay here with his parents to give comfort and for love of them, as Christ chose to be born on Earth and suffer and die on the Cross, to give comfort and for love of us.

Charbel could easily end his suffering and give up his spirit to God – but this child stays here in this world of tears, in this torture and pain and suffering because of LOVE for his Earthly parents – and for us, his spiritual parents – those of us who pray for him. This child, so fearfully made, asks Heaven to wait – and surrounded by the Angels and the Saints, in God’s own hand, as His chosen one, God hears his prayer.


Why then did I feel JOY to see this terrible attack on these blessed people?

The answer is simple.


Contrary to popular culture and opinion, this world really is just black and white. There is good and there is evil. The Good is God and evil tries to work against God. Luckily for us, evil – being the absence of Good – is powerless against the Good and therefore powerless against God. The only way the evil one gains power is when we turn to him through fear when we are tempted to lose faith in God and His GOODNESS.


When we see temptation – as Charbel’s parents see now through the words and deeds of this doctor – if we TURN AWAY from it and pray, there is no risk to us. For God is Good and uses everything for the Good!


When we have the faith to turn our backs on evils and sufferings (the consequence of human frailty and Original Sin) what more is left for the cowardly one to do – he who has no power? After all, God Himself allows the evil one to wonder the Earth because God Himself can work any good from the tricks of the cowardly one. God is not mocked!


My joy is so great! What Grace! Why else would the evil one, who is lazy, enter through the words and deeds of this doctor to so torment these parents? After all it is hardly a “human” concern to worry about whether desperate people are praying when they are without hope. And being, not a “human” concern, I have great JOY, that the lazy one is so greatly perturbed at the potential loss of the souls of those who pray for this blessed child, Charbel, that he tries UNSUCCESSFULLY to attack his very parents and dim their faith.


Luckily for us, we have Our Lady on our side. Our Lady crushes the evil one through love of her Son. She knows no fear. She knows only JOY.


I share her JOY. How could I not – for Heaven is only a breath away?


There is such Grace in this for us, because with baby Charbel everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.



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