Monday, Weekday in Ordinary Time
There’s no doubt that fear has the ability to cripple us, discourage us, and misdirect our motives. And let’s face it; we’re probably all afraid of something. Depending on the individual, some fears are obviously more serious than others. Perhaps our fear is the fear of not being able to provide for our family? Maybe our fear is that this economic crisis will only get worse? Or perhaps we live with the fear of losing the people we love- a friend who is suffering addiction, a grandparent with cancer, or maybe a son or daughter serving bravely in the military? These are all occasions where fear is understandable. But even for causes of great celebration and happiness, it seems that fear can still exist. I recall when I got married, even though I could not be more thrilled and blessed, I admittedly feared whether or not I would be a good husband. And although my wife and I are not parents yet, I imagine that undertaking the responsibilities of a first time father will be met with both indescribable joy and some fear as well. Take a moment to reflect on your fears. Where are they derived from in your life? As disciples, the question for us is how do we face these fears in our lives?
In today’s Gospel, Jesus encounters a possessed man and drives out the unclean spirits into a herd of swine, thereby demonstrating His power as the Son of God over the spiritual world! As noted in Paragraph 550 of the Catechism, Jesus’ exorcisms anticipate his great victory over Satan. The Catechism reminds us that the coming of the Kingdom of God meant the end to the kingdom of Satan. By all reasonable measures, considering the freedom given to the man possessed by the unclean spirit and the coming of the Kingdom which it signified, this is certainly a positive, if not joyous, event. Yet the reaction is not what we would expect. Rather than an awestruck wonder of the presence of God’s Kingdom in their midst, Mark notes that the onlookers “were seized with fear” following Jesus’ miraculous actions. It seems that their fear is based on the unknown power and authority of Jesus – power which surpasses our human understanding.
In today’s first reading from 2 Samuel, David’s own son, Absalom, is seeking His life! And to make matters worse, a man named Shimei is cursing and throwing stones at David. Unlike today’s Gospel, David finds himself in a situation in which his fear is certainly understandable. Yet, although fear in warranted, David does not respond with fear. Rather, He continues to trust in the Lord, admitting in humility that perhaps the Lord has permitted his present afflictions. In the example of David we find the remedy to fear… faith! Our Lord makes this clear when He says, “Do not be afraid; just have faith.” (Mark 6:36) The faith of David becomes even more evident in today’s Psalm, in which David sings, “When I lie down in sleep, I wake again, for the Lord sustains me. I fear not the myriads of people arrayed against me on every side.” (Psalm 3) We cannot forget that the Lord sustains us as well!
As disciples, we must have faith and “be not afraid.” These were the words of the angel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin at the Annunciation. (Luke 1:30) These were the words of our Lord to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary after the Resurrection. (Matt 28:10) And these were the words spoken by Blessed Pope John Paul II at the beginning of His pontificate. Be not afraid! For the Church, the Annunciation and Resurrection are probably the most joyous moments in human history, and certainly Pope JPII’s papacy helped usher in a new generation of on-fire Catholics throughout the world! So why the many warnings against fear? I think it’s because fear has a powerful ability to strike at our faith and damage our relationship with Jesus. When we fear, it’s difficult to trust. And when we can’t trust, we attempt to rely on our own strength, rather than the strength of the One who carried the cross.
I think no matter what the circumstances, both in times of hardship and joy, fear has a way of showing up and creeping into our lives. But Christ and His Church implore us to take courage! There is a saying that “courage is not the absence of fear; courage is the judgment that something is more important than our fear.” As Catholics and as disciples, we know that God is more important and far bigger than our fear. After all, if God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31) No one! Today, let us reflect on our fears with confidence in our Lord. Let us pray that God would grant us the grace to be able to further surrender our fears at the foot of the cross, that the Holy Spirit would protect us from all spiritual attack, and that we would be able to put our entire lives into the hands of the God who sustains us. Amen.
- Ryan J. Mahle