"Wer ihm vertraut, wird nie verlassen" - Predigt von Domdechant Robert Kleine

At the chapter Mass on the feast day of Saint Margaret, Cathedral Dean Robert Kleine interpreted the first reading from the Book of Sirach as a "great prayer of thanksgiving": "I will praise you, my Lord and my King." Despite hardship and the threat of death, the one praying recognizes "that God has not forsaken him," and lament transforms into praise. The legends surrounding Saint Margaret tell of threats: "The dragon represents overt evil such as persecution and violence, the little worm represents insidious evil such as doubt, resignation, or small compromises that erode faith." Jesus speaks not only of great trials but also of daily discipleship. "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me," Kleine quoted from the Gospel. He emphasized that "faith and love have their price." "Those who follow Jesus will sometimes have to swim against the current." But the forces of evil have no power over the heart that is with God. Jesus' crucial question, "What good is it for someone to gain the whole world and forfeit their soul?" is directed at everyone. "What does my heart cling to? What is so important to me that I would give up something else for it?" Saint Margaret answered this question with her life: "She preferred to remain faithful to Christ rather than turn away from him." We, too, face daily decisions that are "usually less dramatic, but no less important." "The cross of everyday life confronts us in small acts of faithfulness: remaining honest, seeking reconciliation, standing up for the weak, not hiding our faith." God grants us the strength to persevere, hope in the darkness, and a peace that transcends all external circumstances, Kleine said. "Whoever trusts in him will never be forsaken."