Fear Not

Homily for Tuesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time

“Do not be afraid; just have faith.”

If this statement was made by anyone other than Jesus, I’m sure that we would shake our heads and say: “Easy for You to say!” However, I was surprised to learn that “Do not be afraid!” or “Fear Not” actually appears 365 times in the Bible. That’s enough for one each day of the year. When I found this statistic, I did a little investigating. Somebody actually sat down and wrote out the 365 verses that contain this admonition.

One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is Fear of the Lord which is a totally different kind of fear. Thomas Aquinas describes the Fear of the Lord as a fear of being separated from God as the perfect fulfillment of our desires. The kind of fear that Jairus and the woman in this Gospel text are feeling is a fear that paralyzes a person because of shame or guilt or the lack of ability to deal with the situation. Indeed, it is difficult to overcome this kind of fear when our society emphasizes the importance of self-reliance.

There is a circular-shaped church in a little town in Minnesota. Running all along the top of the inside wall are verses from today’s reading from the Letter to the Hebrews. “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us while keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the leader and perfecter of faith.”

The notion of “so great a cloud of witnesses” surrounding us is one that I find very attractive. In the little aforementioned church, underneath these verses are the names of various saints and individuals who have walked the life of faith before us. These are the men and women who give us an example of trust in God despite suffering, persecution, and delayed promises.  If there is one thing that the lives of the saints teach us, it is this: we have nothing to fear. There are so many examples listed in the Roman martyrology, a book that I am constantly picking up to find a story that is remembered on that day. Even those who are not into hagiography as I am can simply remember that Jesus is with us each and every minute of our day. There is no reason to be afraid.