A Letter from Fr. Paul - Sunday, June 25th

In today’s Gospel Jesus says FEAR NOT or BE NOT AFRAID three times. He assures us that the “opponents” have limited power and will not win. Most importantly, He assures us that God’s compassionate love is greater than anything that threatens us.  God’s compassionate love!!!  If God loves and protects the sparrow, will he not protect us?  The hairs of our head are counted!
 
In much of our national rhetoric these days, fear is being used to manipulate people and win them over, even to positions that are anti-Gospel:  Fear of Muslims, fear of immigrants, fear of people different from us, fear of losing jobs, fear of America not being #1 (as if it is our destiny and right to be #1).  
 
Often our fears come down to loss (self-esteem, security, health and life).  And none of us wants to lose what is important or essential for our good and the good of those we love.   But we don’t have control.  We can never have control.  The richest person in the world cannot keep the deterioration of age away forever, nor can the richest
person evade death.  We do not and cannot have control.
 
We hear often that these are “unprecedented times,” and many people are fearful.  Things are not like we are used to: we don’t know what kind of future we face. For us as people of faith, we have the promise that God is with us always, that ultimately all will be OK, that God is in control.  But for that reality to be helpful and effective in our lives, we need to have a relationship with God: we need to let God in and allow God to calm our fears.
 
I invite us to reflect this week on how much we are constrained by fear, how much we put in God’s hands, and how can we grow. And remember, a strong, personal relationship with the Lord is crucial to allowing Him to calm our fears.  God bless.
 
Church sign of the week: Dear God, be good to me. The sea is so big and my boat is so small.