When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus
walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they began to be
afraid. But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” John
6:19–20 On October 22, 1978, Pope Saint John Paul II was
inaugurated as the 264th pope of our Holy Church. During his
homily, the Holy Father said, “Brothers and sisters, do not be
afraid to welcome Christ and accept his power.” The phrase “Do not
be afraid” was repeated over and over again throughout his
pontificate. In his book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope,
which was written as a preparation for the new millenia, the Holy
Father explained the following: “When pronouncing these words in
St. Peter’s Square, I already knew that my first encyclical and my
entire papacy would be tied to the truth of the Redemption. In the
Redemption we find the most profound basis for the words “Be not
afraid!”: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son”
(cf. Jn 3:16). This exhortation against fear is repeated throughout
the Bible numerous times. It is found in the Old Testament over a
hundred times in some form and in the New Testament over fifty
times. Again and again, God wants us to conquer fear, worry, and
anxiety. He wants us to trust in Him in all things and place all of
our hope in Him. What is it that you fear the most in life? For
some, fear comes on a daily basis. Perhaps you face financial
insecurity, poor health, a broken relationship, psychological
difficulties, etc. There are numerous things in life that can
easily tempt us to fear. In the Gospel passage for today, Jesus
walks toward His disciples on the water during a turbulent time on
the Sea of Galilee. The wind was blowing, and the waves were
distressing. And though these fishermen had spent many nights on
the sea, Jesus chose to come to them at this moment, not so much to
help them get to shore but to teach all of us that no matter what
“storm” we face in life, He will be there in ways that are truly
miraculous. Certainly, none of the disciples ever expected to see
Jesus walking on the water in the middle of the night while the
waves were crashing upon their boat. But Jesus did this and spoke
those words, “Do not be afraid,” because He wanted us to know that
no matter what we struggle with in life, He is always there, coming
to us in love, and will see us safely to the shore of His peace. If
fear is something you struggle with on a personal level, then turn
your eyes to the reality of the Redemption. The Father sent the Son
into the world to save you. Jesus did not only come to teach, or to
inspire, or to help. He came to save. To redeem. To destroy death,
fear, sin and all that keeps us from the Father. His saving act
changes humanity forever. If you understand that and believe it,
then nothing can steal away your peace and fill you with fear.
Reflect, today, upon this powerful little phrase: “Do not be
afraid!” Imagine yourself in the boat with the disciples at night,
being tossed by the waves, surrounded by darkness. And then see
Jesus coming to you speaking those words. Know that He speaks them
to you in the darkest moments of your life and that He will never
leave you. Hope in Him and let His saving act of the Redemption
transform your life forever. Jesus, my Redeemer, I thank You for
coming into this world to save us. Thank You for the gift of the
Redemption of the world. When I am tempted to fear and turn my eyes
to the difficulties of the world, give me the grace I need to turn
to You in hope and trust. Enter the storms of my life, dear Lord,
and lift my burden of fear. Jesus, I trust in You.
Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.com
Copyright 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used
with permission via RSS feed.
Featured images above: Jesus walking on the Sea of Galilee
By Paul Bril and Frederik van Valckenborch, via Wikimedia
Commons
Kommentare (0)
Melde dich an, um einen Kommentar zu schreiben.