Do not be afraid!

It’s estimated that variations of “fear not” and “do not be afraid” appear anywhere from 133 to 436 times in our Catholic bibles.   No matter what number you think is correct, the point is that God has told us countless times that in the midst of our trials and tribulations, the Lord extends his hands to us and saves us.   

Today’s Gospel reading from Matthew is the well-known story of Jesus and the disciples in the boat when a storm arises.  I think all of us have experienced fear and uncertainty in our lives so we can relate to Peter in the boat.  He tried to be brave when he began to walk on the water towards Christ but got scared by the strong winds and began to sink in the waters.   Who can forget the words then spoken by Jesus when he said, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”  

The Church teaches “our lack of faith reveals that we do not yet (CCC 2732)  have a humble heart. We are reminded what Jesus once said, when referring to the vine and the branches: “Apart from me, you can do nothing” (CCC 2732).   We need to trust in God not only in the good times, but when the storms of life batter us.   The storms for example represent our sickness, family problems, unemployment, or pending death.  The list goes on and on.  The sea is our world.  Whenever these and lots more storms surround us, the boats of our lives begin to experience turbulence, and consequently stagger. 

Fear is probably the worst emotion we can experience.  It’s induced by a perceived danger or threat.  It can occur as a result of current events or in anticipation of a future threat.  We’re fearful when we think we are at risk and will be harmed.  At that point, we either confront the fear or try to avoid the threat. When I was a young boy, I remember a tornado heading straight to my neighborhood.  My family ran to the basement to seek shelter.  I’ll never forget the noise of what sounded like a thousand locomotive engines passing by. I can relate to the Old Testament reading today from First Kings which said: “A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks…”  I was more scared than I had ever been because we thought the twister would destroy our home and kill us.  The tornado skipped over our house, but many other homes were destroyed, and dozens of lives were lost.  

Fear can keep us from making difficult decisions, from trusting others, from embracing change, and even from responding to God’s call.  Fear tells us to stay in the boat, to cling to what is familiar, and to avoid anything uncertain.  Yet today’s Gospel reminds us that faith is not the absence of fear.  Faith is choosing Jesus in the midst of fear.

We need to remember Jesus is with us on our journey. He will not abandon us especially in our time of need. There is no shame if like Peter, we cry out, “Lord save me.”  God will stretch out his hand and pull us out of the darkness of the stormy waters.  If we are humble, the Lord will calm our frightened hearts through his quiet presence.   

So how do we ease our fears?  The answer I believe is through prayer.  The Church “teaches that humility is the foundation of prayer.  Only when we admit that we don’t pray as we ought, are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer (CCC 2559).  St. Augustine when describing the act of prayer said, “Man is a beggar before God.”   My brothers and sisters, there is NO shame in begging by praying before God. Praying helps to calm our fears and brings us closer to God.  

The invitation today is not to pretend the stormy waves are gone but to keep our gaze on Christ in the midst of them.   Jesus is always near, speaking peace into our fears.  When we trust him, even imperfectly, we discover that He is greater than every storm.    Like the disciples, may we come to recognize Him and proclaim with renewed conviction, “Truly, you are the Son of God.” 

Let me close with a prayer from this month’s Magnificat:  “Lord Jesus Christ, free us from fear of every storm in our life so that we might always acknowledge you as the Son of God.”