12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel Reflection

Matthew 10:26-33

A famous American President, in the course of the Second World War, made an outstanding remark: “The only thing you have to fear is fear itself.” Roosevelt was encouraging citizens to not lose heart in the midst of a terrible international conflict. Certainly, this human emotion can paralyse an individual, like an animal frozen in place by the headlights of an approaching vehicle. Even in humans, this feeling of terror has physical effects: your heart beats more rapidly, blood drains from your complexion, your breathing speeds up. How often we come across people who are tormented and overwhelmed by the hardships that life brings with it.

Struggling against fear and anxiety seems to be a consistent theme in the Gospels. Our Lady and St Joseph were both instructed by angels: “Be not afraid.” Think of the number of martyrs we honour in the liturgy throughout the year. These valiant men and women have put their lives on the line to defend the truths of the Christian faith. Perhaps sometimes we do not defend the faith or stand up for the Church since we are so afraid of what other   people will say, of a critical remark, going against the current or of drawing attention to ourselves. Suddenly we become tongue-tied and nervous.

In the Gospel of today’s Mass, Our Lord tells us not to be afraid, but to live as children of God.  Obstacles and adversities only worsen day by day when one relies on human resources alone. “Do not be afraid of men,” Jesus says, everything is ultimately in the hands of God, our Father.

Fear is the passion aroused when we consider a danger, real or imagined, that may befall us. We Christians know that the only evil is sin. Beyond this, everything that may happen to us falls within the loving Providence of our Father God. It is a comforting truth, the foundation of our courage. Jesus Christ uses a comparison that everyone can understand: “Are not two sparrows sold for a   penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father’s will. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

If even sparrows, which have a minuscule value, are objects of divine attention, how much more so are we who have been created in the image and likeness of God himself and redeemed by Jesus Christ? Our immortal soul is destined for eternal glory. For us, God became incarnate and died on the Cross. We are worth all the Blood of Christ: an infinite price. God’s Providence extends to even the smallest details, to what might seem insignificant, as the Lord suggests with a vivid example: even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

The challenges of life - illness, financial difficulties, emotional stress - are all a summons for us to live as children of God. We should never forget that “the whole world is in his hands.” How many times a day do we say in the Our Father: “hallowed be your name, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”? No matter what trials and problems we encounter, we should always remember God’s providential care for us.

At times, we might reflect on the words of the liturgy with regard to God the Father. We make several signs of the Cross and receive blessings: “In the name of the Father.” Each Eucharistic Prayer  begins with a reference to our heavenly Father. Before receiving the Body of Christ in Communion, we always recite the Our Father. Every single prayer the priest recites finishes, “through your son, Jesus Christ,” addressing the First Person of the Blessed Trinity.

The second point in St. Josemaria Escriva’s book, The Forge, reads:

“God is my Father! If you meditate on it, you will never let go of this consoling

thought.

Jesus is my dear Friend (another thrilling discovery) who loves me with all the

madness of his Heart.

The Holy Spirit is my Consoler, who guides my every step along the road.

Consider this often: you are God’s - and God is yours.”