“And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.”
Isaiah 37:31
We can apply Isaiah 36 and 37 to our own time. The prince of this world wants us to doubt God. He urges us to:
- rely on ourselves rather than on God and worry primarily about our material well-being;
- resort to sin to get what we want;
- abandoning the apostolate and turning to those who pride themselves on performing miracles.
In difficult times, the arguments of the evil one can make us doubt. That is not dramatic. What is important is that we then come to God to share our distress. We can do this in prayer or by talking to one of God’s servants.
The Holy Spirit advises us to remain faithful to Christ and the apostolate. He gives us the guarantee that God keeps what He promises. Christ watches over us. He gives us the strength to persevere through His word and Holy Communion. And He will give us eternal life, which surpasses anything we can imagine.
Through the activity of the apostolate, we can develop spiritually.
The faithful grow roots.
Roots ensure the plant’s stability. The root of faith allows us to remain faithful in all circumstances.
To have deep faith is to believe firmly:
- in Christ’s teaching, sacrifice and resurrection;
- that God’s help is above all spiritual — He wants our salvation;
- in Christ’s imminent return;
- in eternal life (2 Cor 4:16-18);
- in the Apostle’s mission, sent by God to prepare us for Christ’s return.
Roots also provide the plant with nourishment. The root of love provides us with the motivation needed to remain faithful. The Holy Spirit helps us discover the depth of Christ’s love. The Son of God left God’s glory to bring us salvation. He was willing to suffer and die for us. He loves us unconditionally. He overcame sin and lets us benefit from the merit earned on the cross. He is always with us. He wants us to share His glory and reign with Him. For all these reasons, we love Him. And this love motivates us to remain faithful to Him and serve Him no matter what.
The faithful bear fruits.
The fruits are visible (the roots are not). Fruit is an image of our conduct and spiritual evolution.
Fruit is food. Those who remain faithful become a blessing to their brothers and sisters. They bring them consolation, comfort and encouragement. They show concern and come to help them. They forgive those who offended them.
Fruit contains seeds. By their words and deeds, the faithful bear witness to Christ’s love for humankind and to the salvific activity of the apostolate. They encourage people to come to Christ, and their example motivates the younger generation to remain faithful.
The activity of the Holy Spirit through the apostolate allows us to be deeply rooted in faith and love. Thanks to our roots, we can bear fruit. Our spiritual evolution is visible, we are a blessing within the Church and effective witnesses to Jesus Christ.