Confronting the Insidious Liar That Is Fear

“Fear cuts deeper than swords.” ~ George R.R. Martin

The virtue of perseverance takes center stage in today’s 1st Reading (Acts 14:19-38) as we encounter a severely battered and bruised Saint Paul, literally left for dead on the heels of his evangelization efforts in Antioch, the very birthplace of Catholicism now known as Southern Turkey.

“It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God” Paul tells the people of Derbe, and he certainly knows of what he speaks as he addresses the crowd bearing the very wounds of his discipleship, the steep price he paid to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Those who pray the Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary oftentimes pray for the gift of perseverance when reflecting upon the Fifth Sorrowful Mystery, the Crucifixion. Paul possessed the type of perseverance that he urged his followers to seek and pursue. The passage goes on to chronicle in greater detail the breath and scope of Paul’s mission; it’s hard to overstate the importance of Paul’s ministry during the infancy of our Church.

Our Gospel (John 14:27-31) tackles the concept of fear, this irrational emotion that seemingly has a stranglehold on our society. “Do not let your heart be troubled or afraid” Jesus implores his disciples, preparing them for his physical departure from their presence. On the threshold of the Pentecost, the message in Acts is becoming more Holy Spirit-centric, and just as we read of the coming “Advocate” in yesterday’s Gospel, this message will resonate in the days and weeks ahead.

The Media does a masterful job of pumping fear into our psyche, whether it be through the next upcoming election, the weather, instigating civil unrest, and the list goes on and on. As a native New Yorker, the call-in sports talk shows were always a source of great amusement to me. If heaven forbid. the Yankees went on a four game losing streak, the hysteria that ensued might resemble that of the Apocalypse. If it isn’t the news, it’s our unending obsession with what people might think of us. Or the fear that our “bucket lists” might go unfulfilled. It’s a never ending cavalcade of what-ifs and what-might-be, and we all fall prey to it from time to time.

When fear permeates every fiber of our being, it can paralyze us, chipping away at our faith foundation one anxiety-riddled second at a time. Our faith in God melts away and our reliance on men and women increase. Not good. The simple fact of the matter is, virtually nothing we ruminate over is within the realm of our control anyway. Credence Clearwater Revival once asked the seminal question “who’ll stop the rain?” Rest assured it won’t be you or I, literally or figuratively.

Today the Church celebrates the Feast Day of Saint Christopher Magallanes, who along with his companions were martyred in their efforts to spread Christianity throughout Mexico in the late 1800s. What’s particularly telling about their missionary work is the fact that these men were martyred over the span of 8 years, with Saint Christopher being the first. Those who followed him knew that there fate would most likely mirror his, yet they forged ahead nonetheless. That’s bravery personified, an example of a life led free to fear.

How does one become so fearlessly devoted to our Lord and the spreading of his truth? Only by God’s love and grace, only by the fostering and cultivating of enormously resilient faith. The martyrs of our Church serve as our guide, for they were called to be extreme examples for us all.

So as we continue our journey to the Father’s House, I would encourage you all to heed the advice of the iconic Saint Padre Pio who urges us to “pray, hope, and don’t worry,” going on to point out that “worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer. Pray with perseverance (there’s that word again), trust and a serene and calm mind.”

Prayer is the best weapon we have against fear, the most insidious liar of our lifetime. Don your armor and go forth with full and total confidence, The battle has already been fought and won. In the words of Dante Alighier in his famous Divine Comedy, “Do not be afraid; our fate cannot be taken from us; it is a gift.”