As the Lord Has Said

Continued👆🏽 As the Lord has said, “Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will acknowledge before My Father in heaven” (Luke 12:8). Let us not be found among those who remain silent before injustice, who shrink back in the face of pressure. The Church exalts the martyrs not merely for their suffering, but for their uncompromising witness. Remember, it is written: “We can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth” (2 Corinthians 13:8). Let Nicodemus’s courage ignite our own. 4. Night Vigilance: The Hidden Strength of the Saints There is a sanctity to the night. In the world, night is for slumber and shadows. In the Church, night is for light and awakening. Nicodemus came at night, not merely to avoid men, but to find God. The flesh tires by day, but the soul revives by night. Saint Isaac the Syrian said well: “The night was created for thanksgiving.” It is in the stillness of the night that the soul hears the voice of God most clearly. The Holy Church, from apostolic times, has sanctified the night with prayer, hymns, and vigils. Our Lord, before His Passion, told His disciples: “Watch and pray, that you may not fall into temptation” (Matthew 26). So too, in this hour, the Church seeks those who will pray in the night—not out of ritual, but out of love. Like Nicodemus, let us meet Christ in the quiet hour, and commune with the mysteries hidden from the noisy world. 5. Enduring to the End: The Faithfulness of the Final Hour When the Lord was lifted up on the Cross, where were the multitudes that had once followed Him? They had scattered. Their love was for the miracles, not for the suffering. Their faith was for the bread, not for the broken Body. But there, at the foot of the Cross, stood only a few: the Virgin Mother, John the Beloved, and among the last—Nicodemus. He was not there at the sixth hour, but he came when the Lord had already given up His Spirit. He took down the sacred Body and, together with Joseph of Arimathea, gave Him a burial worthy of a king. O what faith! To honor the Lord not in His miracles, but in His death. Not at the height of glory, but at the depth of disgrace. This is true endurance. The Apostle Paul said, “Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world” (2 Timothy 4:9). Many begin the race, but few finish it. Many sing in the choir but are silent at the Cross. Let us not be like those who abandon the faith when trials come, who serve only in prosperity, but flee in adversity. Let us be like Nicodemus, faithful to the end. Conclusion: A Lesson for Our Souls From the sacred life of Nicodemus, we draw not only admiration but instruction: Let us know our shortcomings, and bring them to Christ with humility. Let us raise our minds, that we may enter the mysteries of the Kingdom. Let us bear witness to truth, even before rulers. Let us seek God in the night, where the soul is most alive. Let us endure to the end, standing firm when the world turns away. As Nicodemus's nocturnal visit became the gateway to the mystery of rebirth, so may our faithfulness in hidden hours be the key to the glory of the age to come. May the name of the Holy God be praised forever and ever in every tongue that He has created, today and always. May the blessings of God's mother, the virgin, and the cross be upon us. Amen. © John's Repentance Reach out to us on our social media platforms and share it with your friends: https://linktr.ee/johnsrepentance