“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Mt 10:28)
One of the most common human emotions that we all experience is that of fear. Fear operates in our lives more frequently than we might realize. Persistent fears over time can easily turn into anxiety — a chronic mental disturbance that can become debilitating.
Throughout the Gospels, we hear the Lord’s admonition, “Be not afraid.” At the Annunciation, the archangel Gabriel addresses Mary with those words. Likewise in his dreams, on more than one occasion, St. Joseph is told, “Do not be afraid.” Fear seems to be almost an involuntary response to all that surprises us, even if the surprise is a birthday party in our honor!
Sometimes patterns in life condition us from our earliest days. If our mothers coddle us, we can lack the strength and fortitude we need to take responsibility for our own lives. If our fathers are mean and critical, we can lack the esteem we need to face life’s challenges. “Be not afraid” is also good spiritual advice, but we may not readily respond to the divine initiative in our lives in that way.
On any given day, the news cycle presents us with multiple situations about which we might become afraid. Whether it may be the likelihood of violent storms or the proliferation of violence as a response to some situation on the world scene or the possibility of some random act of violence, our lives in general are much less carefree. Furthermore, in these days leading up to our celebration of Independence Day, threats to religious liberty are occurring ever more frequently, including attacks on church property, clergy and Church members.
More than previous generations, we tend to worry about our physical safety. Being ever more cognizant about what’s going on around us is important, lest we be caught off-guard in some way. Yet in the Gospel, Jesus wants us to be most concerned about the state of our souls. In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus says, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” (Mt 10:28)
This admonition of our Lord isn’t an encouragement to live in constant fear of going to hell, but rather a “wake-up call” to make our eternal destiny a matter of greater concern than the more passing things we tend to worry about. We see examples of this in the lives of those in the early Church as recounted in the book of the Acts of the Apostles. Though the civil authorities wanted to silence those who testified about the resurrection of Jesus and saw great miracles in his name, they continued to preach boldly and bear witness to the salvation Christ won for us.
In every age, faithful disciples of Jesus have faced distress and persecution for their Faith. Countless men and women have suffered martyrdom strengthened by the encouraging words of Jesus. “Be not afraid,” resonating deeply in their minds and hearts, emboldening them in their faith. Countless others have risked various experiences of persecution because their faith was the foundation of their lives.
We live in challenging times! Being a person of faith, once a virtue for our culture, is looked upon more and more with disdain. Stories of religious persecution, vandalism at churches and direct assaults on clergy and other Church members are ever more frequent. What seemed hard to imagine just 20 years ago is becoming more common.
How, then, do we faithfully live out this admonition of our Lord? First of all, we simply have to take our Faith more seriously. It has to become more important than anything else. We have to get back to the basics: a time of prayer each morning as we start the day, some daily reflection on sacred Scripture, an intentional rooting out of some vice or fault that plagues us, perhaps attending weekday Mass as often as we can, praying the rosary (perhaps as a family) on a daily basis, monthly confession of our sins and a serious adherence to the Ten Commandments and ending the day with a brief prayer time that includes the Act of Contrition. Each of these help us focus on our spiritual well-being.
Secondly, we need to lean into our Faith, not shrink back from it. Just as athletes work out, pushing themselves to the limit, we need to engage in what our faith requires, not withdraw from bearing witness to it, even when it may be unpopular. For example, if you make the sign of the cross when you say grace before meals at home, nothing should stop you from doing it when you’re eating out in public. When laws or city ordinances are being proposed that are anti-Christian or contrary to the Gospel, we ought to ask the Holy Spirit for strength to not be afraid of standing up for what is good and right.
In a few days from now we will celebrate Independence Day. Among the great blessings of living in this country are the constitutional freedoms we enjoy. While there are ongoing challenges to our safety and security in this life, Jesus wants us to prepare for the kingdom that will have no end. Do not be afraid must become our daily disposition in life. If we put God first and honor him as Sovereign Lord, we will have all that we need for whatever comes. Let us remember the words of St. Paul who said, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Phils 4:13)
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