Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time
What do we do when we’re afraid? When we’re younger, we often try to hide underneath the blankets (sometimes even going into the fetal position because the blankets don’t quite cover everything from the tip of the head to the soles of our feet). We might turn lights on to see what is there. I’m sure night lights are still on sale and a popular buy for some children’s rooms. We might run to a parent when we’re afraid, either as a child or as an adult. I’m sure some parents here have been woken up in the middle of the night with a child crawling into their bed after a bad nightmare. Some parents have received heart-wrenching phone calls from an adult child who is going through a difficult or traumatic time. Fear is a very powerful force.
But Jesus today says not to fear three different times: “‘Fear no one’”; “‘do not be afraid…’”; and again “‘do not be afraid…’”. In the first place he speaks about fear of someone concealing something, or a secret, or not being totally honest. In the second place he speaks about fear of those who can attack our person. And in the third place he talks about fearing about our physical needs.
Sometimes we can be afraid of speaking the truth. We’re afraid of what someone might think, or maybe that if we speak out, someone will say something else about us. Maybe we’re afraid about talking about Jesus. Maybe we’re afraid because we worry that someone will think we’re a Jesus freak or a hyper-religious person. To that fear, Jesus covers us with the blanket of His love, and says, “‘Fear no one.’” In our first reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah, Jeremiah was afraid of what the people would say about him because he was speaking the word of God. He hears the whispering of those around him; he hears his so-called friends denouncing him to find fault with his message, which is not his message, but is a message from God.
Fear of those who can do physical harm is also easily understood. Our bodies naturally put us in a fight or flight mode when we think someone might do us harm. And certainly Jesus is not saying that we cannot defend ourselves. But He is inviting us to trust in Him, even when we are threatened with bodily harm. Because while the body is good, it is the soul that is the most important. We can struggle with all sorts of bodily ailments, disfigurements, or disabilities, but our soul could be as strong as ever with God’s help. If our soul is in a good place with God, then while our body can be tortured (either from enemies, or even just from old age or sickness), what others do to the body does not necessarily have any effect on what happens after we die, which is what we should be most concerned with.
Think about our brothers and sisters who are Catholic and Orthodox in the Middle East. Some of them, especially in Syria, Iraq, and Egypt, go to Mass, and they must know that, given the terrorists in those countries, their church could be bombed or set on fire. And yet they go to Mass. Why? Because they want Jesus; they want to hear the Word of God and receive the Body and Blood of Jesus in the Eucharist; because in some cases there, and in other places around the world, they only have Mass once a month, and it means that much to them. But they are willing to risk life and limb to be connected with Jesus and spend time with him (and their Masses are often even longer than one hour!!).
Fear about our physical needs is also a tough fear to fight. We know we need food, water, housing, and clothes to survive. But we are worried that we will not have enough. Especially here in Flint, we are afraid that our water is not drinkable. Those outside Flint don’t understand why at least some people, and maybe some here, are skeptical when the city or the State or the feds tell us that the water is fine to drink. But we have been burned before. So how can we trust in God to provide these things?
We can trust in God to give us the gifts we need to work hard and contribute to society to the best of our ability, and receive as payment the money we need to take care of ourselves. Certainly, we need to prioritize. If we put cable TV ahead of a meal, or even fancy food ahead of the basic staples that we need to survive, then our priorities need to be rearranged. While the cost of living has gone up, and maybe more than our wages, think back to your parents or your grandparents: so many of them were able to provide a good living on one income. I’m not saying only one person should work, but I think our parents and grandparents prioritized better than we do (at least in general). Our parents or grandparents probably didn’t take exotic trips every year for Spring Break, or have the newest gadgets. But they put good food on the table, and often times they paid for a Catholic education. There’s nothing wrong with Spring Break in Panama City Beach or having a gadget, but they should be placed behind other more important needs and wants. And think about your parents or grandparents: maybe they didn’t have it all, but they never wanted for anything they needed. And for those who had more, they often passed along their resources to those who legitimately could not work, or maybe just helped someone make it for a few weeks who had fallen on some hard times. We also become the ways in which God takes care of all His children. But no matter what, God cares for us, and knows what we need.
So we don’t need a blanket to hide us; we don’t need an LED lightbulb to illumine the darkness; we simply need God, and to trust in Him to help us not be afraid. Talk to others about Jesus; work on having a strong soul; prioritize life with the truly important things at the top of the list. With God, we need not be afraid.
