12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

06-21-2020Weekly ReflectionJames Gaffney, © 2008 Karides Lic. to St. George Publishing

A German proverb says that fear makes the wolf bigger than it is. When we are afraid, our imagination can run wild, we feel helpless and trapped and we fail to act. Just ask any kid who hides under the bed when he hears a scary noise in the middle of the night! The only sound he wants to hear is the reassuring voice of his mom or dad.

Faith leads us to the battle of life and death as we struggle with sin and grace. There may be moments when we are afraid, pinned down by sin, failure and the constant temptations to abandon the good fight. Overcoming fear means we rely on God, calling on His grace and strength to help us in moments of weakness and fear. God’s Word and Sacrament re- assure us that we have all we need and should not be afraid.

Fear can hold us back from practicing our faith. We are afraid of what others might think, or that our efforts will be rejected or may not be good enough. Let God worry about that. Do what you know is right, what God wants you to do. Your fears will disappear in the light of faith.

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