Facing Fear with Faith

 

"Rise, and do not be afraid." (Matt 17:7)

--Jesus to Peter, James, and John at the Transfiguration

Fear and anxiety are basic human emotions. They can be a prison of difficulty and build up into deep distress, brooding, anger, and resentment. Our secular and divisive society today often uses fear as a way to control, deceive, and punish. Fear holds us back; it makes us confused and unwilling to take the path that God wants us to. It can be debilitating and painful.

Leaders often face fearful situations -- they may not be physical or health-related, but are often the product of anxiety, prior circumstance or experience, and the unknown. Church leaders face fears when new programs are rolled out, or change occurs. These are all natural -- but how do we as leaders use our faith to help ourselves and others to manage these emotions?

As Catholics, fear is something we may experience, but the powerful words of Jesus keep echoing: "Do not be afraid." In spite of the fact that fear is probably one of the most common human emotions, Jesus calls us to believe, hope, and trust in His almighty power. We need not be afraid, He says. "I am with you." Jesus, or God's angels, tells this over and over to the Disciples, to Mary, to Paul, and to others. Yet, we continue to fall into the "fear trap." A leader's response to fear should always be: let us keep those words of Jesus in our hearts: "Do not be afraid."

 The Answer to our Prayers

We can counter the fretting and anxiety that occurs daily life with one thing: Love. In the First Letter of Saint John, we hear that we know that Jesus is still with us, because the Holy Spirit is with us (1 John 4:12-13). That should give us great comfort. Saint John's letter continues that the love of the Father, through the Son, and with us now in the Holy Spirit is a great consolation, but it also requires us to give that same love back to others. Verse 20 says that "We love because he first loved us."

 Because love is the ultimate good, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love." (v 19). By using the power of love, we can overcome our fear and be the disciples that God has called us to be. Love outdoes fear every time, just as light drives out the darkness -- and we are also called to be people of light for the world (Matt 5:16).

 Faith and Foreboding with the Apostles

In the Gospel of Mark (6:45-52), we read the familiar story of Jesus walking on the water of the Sea of Galilee after He had just finished feeding the multitudes of men, women, and children with just five loaves and two fish. Jesus had told the Disciples of head over to the other side of the sea to prepare for his next ministry event while he stayed and dismissed the crowd.

 Jesus then went off to pray quietly, alone. But while out in the boat in the darkness, an ugly storm began and Jesus noticed how afraid they were -- but not as afraid as they became when they saw Him approaching the boat, walking on the water.  "But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out. They had all seen him and were terrified." (v 49-50)

 But it is the words Jesus spoke after that gives us the comfort we need today: "Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” (v 50) The Church gives us lots of opportunities throughout the year to examine our own fears and heed the words of Jesus. He alone can be that guide for us, the one who helps calm the seas of crises in our lives. He alone can take the burden off of us, so we don't need to worry.

 Hearing Our Prayers

In Greek, the word "confidence" is parresia.  It actually has two meanings that are intertwined. It means to have full freedom to speak, speaking in truth and in candor, to be plain and straightforward in our words. It also means to have trust and fearless confidence, a boldness that underscores our fundamental trust in God. Saint John elaborates: “And we have this confidence in him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14)

 Because we have God’s ear and can talk with Him in prayer with fullness and openness, He hears us and loves us. When we pray, we pray with confidence -- with parresia. Our prayers to God are clear and honest when we are uncertain. "Lord, give me direction. Help me find my way. Show me the light to guide my path." Our prayers strengthen us and allows us to receive the grace in our heart that refreshes our faith and friendship with Jesus.

Father Dan Groody, C.S.C., a Holy Cross priest and Theology professor at the University of Notre Dame writes eloquently about fear: "Amid our deepest anxieties and the most tumultuous conflicts, [Jesus] reveals Himself as the God who created us, rescues us, and is with us. Even when forces threaten to capsize us, He want us to bring Him on board and respond with faith and trust in His power to save us." (2019 Daily Reflections for Advent, Liturgical Press, pp. 92-93).

A Leader's Challenge

There is always the time to allow us the choice to be silent and space to be more in tune with God's plan for us, whatever that entails. Suffering will always be there. The news of bombings, shootings, tragic accidents, grave illness, and other distressing circumstances will always be there. But we have faith, not fear. Pope Francis reminds us that "hope propels us toward a sound future...let us refuse to be robbed of hope, or allow our hope to be dimmed." (Lumen Fidei, Light of Faith Encyclical, June 2013).

Faith lets us see with new eyes; the eyes of a believer. A believer does not let fear or anxiety trample them down. Jesus is our hope, our future, our faith. We know how the story ends. Easter shows us. Pentecost shows us. The lives of the Saints show us. The example of holy men and women living today show us, here and now. Fear not—I am with you.

Let's use this time in Lent to remember that -- and recommit ourselves to Him. Let us be confident that by facing fear, we strengthen our faith and see with the eyes of a believer. Use Lent to face our fears, struggles, and anxieties with cheerful courage and steadfast resolve that faith in God will be our guide, for He is always with us!

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Photo: Jason Di Resta, “Andrea di Vanni/Scenes from the Passion of Christ: The Agony in the Garden [left panel]/1380s,” Italian Paintings of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries, NGA Online Editions, https://purl.org/nga/collection/artobject/198423 (accessed March 15, 2023).