Tag Archives: Fear

April 29, 2013

6th Sunday of Easter – Peace I Leave With You

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Icon of Christ

Study:  Think of someone you know who has faced a terrible fear.  Where did they find their peace and strength?

Pray:  Is there something that makes you afraid?  Bring it to your prayer and ask God to give you the grace to face it.

Serve:  How might you support someone in their fear right now?  Is there something you can do to offer comfort, assistance, or aid?  Perhaps it simply means being present to others to remind them that they are not alone.

6th Sunday of Easter Readings:

The phrase “do not be afraid” appears twenty-one times in the New Testament and over fifty times in the Old Testament.  These words are spoken by angels, prophets, and the Lord.  The repetition of this message in the Scriptures is for a simple reason – we often live in fear.

It is truly humbling to step back and reflect on the things in this life that keep us afraid:  aging, sickness, loss of ability, finances, relationships, war, terrorism, violence, self esteem………it goes on and on.  These fears are part of the world in which we live, and their power is often great in the human heart.

Fear has power because it preys on what we value, filling us with worry while we fret over what will happen if something we cherish is taken away.  That is why fear is a universal temptation; all of us have values, and when we fear the loss of something dear to us our anxiety can waste our time and energy.

We see this pattern of fear when people get stuck in a rut of thinking that leads them to wallow in a mental swamp, endlessly churning worry after worry without any positive, constructive, or helpful action.  It is a truly useless process.

Yet as people of faith we are told that fear is not the motivation of our lives.  There is something greater, something more powerful, that overcomes fear and worry, anxiety and doubt – Jesus Christ.  In the Lord we have a hope that is greater than all fear.

Through the death and resurrection of the Lord sin and death have been destroyed.  Christ is victorious and we follow the path that he has laid down for us.  This does not mean that the journey will be easy; rather it means that we can face the difficulties and struggles of life with the knowledge that we will be given what we need.

In our moments of fear (and trust me, there will be moments) we hear what the Lord provides for us – PEACE.  Peace in our hearts gives us the calming strength to face a difficult situation.  Peace in our lives allows us to look upon the world and gain a true perspective.  Peace in our soul allows us to see our fear and still act in a manner that is worthy of hope.

The Lord gives us peace.  When fear threatens to choke our hearts we turn to the one who gives us strength.  Only in the peace of Christ can we find the hope that sustains us to understand and overcome our fear, transforming our lives and our hearts.

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February 15, 2013

1st Sunday of Lent: In the Desert of Fear

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Desert

Study: How did Christ face his fears?  How can we face our own?

Pray: Ask God for the help to face our fears and offer thanks for moments of grace.

Serve: Many face fears each day through temptation; how can we help them overcome their obstacles?

1st Sunday of Lent Readings

My experience and imagination tell me that the desert is a dry and barren place, absent of the typical signs of life.  Compared to the vegetation and animal life many of us know, the desert can seem to be a place where there is nothing at all.

This sense of “nothing” can be very profound.  The bleakness of the desert can lead to a sense of quiet.  Without the distraction and abundance of other living things, a person can often contemplate on problems and concerns, doubts and fears that lie within the heart.

Jesus was led to the desert.  After his baptism the Spirit directed him to a place of barren solitude where he would be tempted.  Alone and without the basic conforts of life, the Lord confronted the issues that would surface throughout his ministry.

In the three temptations, the Devil uses fear to keep Jesus from his mission.  The first temptation, turning stones to bread, forces Jesus to face the fear of bodily harm.  Knowing he is God, Jesus could have allowed himself to never physically suffer.  Yet the Lord says that there is more than just the body.

The second temptation, bowing to the Devil to receive the kingdoms of the earth, shows Jesus the fear of being powerless.  The miracles he will later perform testify to his power and might.  Jesus, however, places his hope in God alone.

The third temptation, falling from the Temple, addresses the fear of death.  The devil tempts Jesus to take the easy way, avoiding the pain that his suffering on the Cross will cause.  Yet the Lord again responds with confidence – for God is not to be tested to “prove” his power.

These three temptations are a foreshadowing of what will come.  Through his death on the Cross the Lord will encounter all of these fears.  His body beaten and tortured, alone and abandoned, left to die as a criminal – the Lord will endure these fears in the saving act that sets us free.  The temptations Jesus rejected in the desert he confronts in life, but he faces them in spite of the fear they cause.

The Lords temptation in the desert becomes an opportunity for us to examine our hearts.  There are times when God leads us to a barren place, where we are isolated and free of the distractions of life.  At these moments we may face our fears, seeing clearly those issues which keep us from living our lives as the Lord intended.

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