It sometimes seems that our pilgrimage here on earth takes us through a landscape of fear. We are surrounded by circumstances and situations we do not understand, and ignorance can lead us to live our lives in fear.
We fear for our livelihood. Loss of income may compromise our ability to provide for our families, even to the point of losing our homes. We fear injustice. We see so much of it everyday and do not understand how it can happen. And we fear the persecution that may descend upon us if we uphold our Catholic identity.
Jesus offers us the key to dispel all our fears. “Do not be afraid, have faith.” If fear is born of ignorance, then knowledge can take it away. Faith is a supernatural knowledge that takes away every fear.
We know that God has prepared a place for us in His heavenly home, so we need not fear poverty and death. We have faith that God will bring good out of evil and so our fear of injustice fades away. Knowledge that God will never abandon us gives us the courage to overcome our fear of persecution and stand for Truth.
The knowledge to overcome every fear comes from our faith.
We do not need to live our lives timidly; fearful over what may happen next. Faith frees us to live our lives boldly and follow Christ courageously. Neither should we fear that we might fail because we know that in the end, we win.
Pax Vobiscum
13th Sunday in Ordinary Time