Jesus sent forth His Apostles to proclaim openly and boldly the messages He gave them in secret, which is the mission we as His people have in our present day. Because of sin and evil in the world, we are bound to face persecution in fulfilling this mission. Yet we can take courage because He is with us. He has conquered sin that entered the world through death because of the disobedience of Adam and Eve. So while they may kill the body, they cannot harm our souls, because they are kept safe in Him, caring us even more so than for birds, because of Christ's graces flowing so abundantly onto us.
This weekend, the Sunday 11 AM Mass at Ascension Parish was the final Mass at which Deacon Lendell Richardson assisted, as he is moving onto an assignment at a new parish. He has always given great homilies, and this one was no exception: Drawing so richly from the readings, he spoke about the fears he's faced in the various experiences of his own life, and how in the midst of those fears, he has found reason to praise God, and entrust Himself to Him Who has lavished His care on us so richly. It was stirring to hear those words spoken in such a heartfelt, real way from someone entering a time of transition, reminding us of how God calls all of us to entrust ourselves to Him, knowing we can count on the God Who has saved us. A translation of Jesus's words in the Gospel passage renders, "Stop being afraid". Indeed, in the midst of so much fear, we can stop being afraid, and cry out to Him in trust.
No comments:
Post a Comment