In case you haven’t noticed, life as we know it has changed considerably since 2020 said hi! Not just in the United States but in almost every inhabitable place on earth. Society, as a whole, has been infected with a worldwide viral pandemic, economies have dissipated to the point were more people are out of work prior to any time in history and protests, killings, rioting, looting and arsons are becoming the norm in most major cities in all but Antarctica; though 30 people protested there in 2017 for women’s rights.
So what does this have to do with our readings and Gospel today?
My belief is that most of us have had something happen to us which brought on fear. As a child it may have been monsters under our bed, a test, a bully or maybe even abusive family members. As an adult you can add to the list loss of a job, divorce, death of a loved one or illnesses to name a few. In the above list, I have had fears in all the areas except abusiveness and divorce. And though I was taught to pray to God, it didn’t always seem to take the fear away. But that was before I truly understood what my relationship with God was supposed to be rather than what I expected it should be –one-sided for my benefit.
Jeremiah was fearful that even his friends were wreaking havoc on him through terror and by denouncing him as he proclaimed God’s truth about Jerusalem being taken captive by Babylon. His struggles initially brought him lament, but turned into praise for God because he realized God was listening and so he dedicated himself fully to being God’s youngest prophet.
Protestors in this last month have made it clear that they will no longer sit by idly as injustices have created an untenable life in which to live. They will continue their efforts for change beyond the silence of hope as they have done in the past and will seek justice for their plight until actual changes are made; no matter how long that takes. They are no longer afraid and expect that together we, as a society, can reach a time of human dignity for all through peaceful means. Peace is a virtue of God's, even though He may not be referred to in this instance.
St. Paul in his letter to the Romans writes that we no longer need to fear sin or death as the summation of our life. Jesus, the only begotten, sinless Son of God, humbled Himself to suffer and die on the cross so our sins would be forgiven and we could receive the gift of eternal life. To do that, we need to not fear and to acknowledge God in our life by loving Him and all He has created by actively working against the world’s injustices to mankind.
St. Matthew’s Gospel admits that life will be difficult (in fact the bible has countless passages about how most of our life will be miserable) because the goals and objectives of those who are earthbound are in opposition to God’s which take us beyond to an eternal life of peace, joy and happiness for all eternity. So does that mean we just give up?
The answer you are looking for here is: NO!
Jesus tells us we are to: “Fear no One” because all that is concealed will be revealed like the Covid-19 virus which quickly overwhelmed our fragile lives but has taught us resiliency through self-quarantining, keeping social distancing and wearing masks. With the opening of our churches, though we cannot touch, we can make our presence known and share with one another how this time has made us stronger and more reliant on God.
“Do not be Afraid,” Jesus tells us by those who threaten our very mortal lives, because our focus is beyond this life which disappoints many with false promises of great wealth, power and fame that will not bring them a happiness they believe they deserve. God is fully aware of everything we need to fulfill the life for which He has created us. He is even counting all the hairs on our head. I may not have many anymore, but God still loves me with the ones that remain.
Finally, Jesus says again: “Do not be Afraid.” If we truly have faith to believe that God has the answers to all our difficult situations, Jesus is there on our behalf to plead our case to His Father as long as we have really tried to be one with God in all that we are in thought, word and deed. Our trust in God will return us to work, to have enough to pay bills and take care of our basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. And though life as we once knew it might be different in respect to the freedoms we enjoyed, we hopefully will have a deeper appreciation for what gifts God has given us in our families, friends, neighbors, co-workers and fellow worshippers.
Let us take this week to look deep into our heart and soul at the fears we have in our lives. Let’s select one we will commit to overcome by taking time to prayerfully discuss with God why we have this fear and what steps do we need to take to completely expunge it from our lives. It might take more than a week to accomplish this, but then we have probably had this fear for a much longer time. We also have God with us before the fear. Therefore, let us fear not for God is with us. It is a start.
Reading 1: Jeremiah 20:10-13
Reading 2: Romans 5:12-15
Gospel: Matthew 10:26-33
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