The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/010715.cfm) reminds me that perfect love casts out fear.
There is a story of a 7 year old boy riding an airplane alone. He was seated on the window side and was looking outside, admiring the beauty of the sky when the plane experienced turbulence. It was shaking hard that people started panicking. Some were already crying, and some prayed the rosary together – despite the announcement of the Captain of the plane that there is nothing to worry about. However, even if people were panicking, the boy remained calm and continued to marvel at what he is seeing outside. Finally, his seatmate asked him – why are you so calm? Are you not scared we are going to crash? To this the boy replied: “I am not afraid. My dad is the captain – I trust him”
Trust is founded in love. And perfect love casts out fear.
In the first reading, we see that perfect love casts out fear. And we are told how to attain this – to love one another and allow God to perfect his love in us. In the gospel, we see that the disciples are yet to have this perfect love in Jesus. Their hearts were hardened and they do not understand yet a lot of things, so we see fear in them. Their initial reaction upon seeing a man was fear, and they have fear in their hardened hearts – fear to ask Jesus things so they could understand things around them.
If we fear, we don’t trust God.
We have a lot of things we are concerned about. Plans, career, finances, health and relationships. We do not know what will happen in life. We are uncertain of a lot of things. This can cause us to fear, for we only see what’s in front of us. We imagine and think of the problems, but we don’t imagine and expect the graces God will give us, so we fear. If we love God, and if we allow Him to love us, we will not fear. We will learn how to trust in him, and we know that he loves us so much, so he will always be there to guide and protect us.
Today, God is telling us like Jesus told the disciples – “Courage, it is I, do not be afraid.” It may be cliché, but it’s true: It We do not know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future – Jesus. May we be like that boy. Unfazed with all the chaos around him and staying firm and calm because of his love to the captain.
What are my worries and concerns as I start this year? What are they based on? Am I over analyzing things and treating them as problems before they become real? What is God telling me today?
Father God.
Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for a beautiful reminder of how much you love me and how much you will protect me. Sorry for the times I let fear and doubt get in the way of love. Sorry for worrying too much and ignoring your love, your power, your protection, and all the previous times you came to my rescue. Help me have that faith in you. Consume me and slowly make my love perfect, just like you are perfect. Amen.
Blessed day!
In Christ,
-g-
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January 7, 2015
Wednesday after Epiphany
Lectionary: 214
Reading 1 1 Jn 4:11-18
Beloved, if God so loved us,
we also must love one another.
No one has ever seen God.
Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us,
and his love is brought to perfection in us.
This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us,
that he has given us of his Spirit.
Moreover, we have seen and testify
that the Father sent his Son as savior of the world.
Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God,
God remains in him and he in God.
We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.
God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him.
In this is love brought to perfection among us,
that we have confidence on the day of judgment
because as he is, so are we in this world.
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.
Responsorial Psalm PS 72:1-2, 10, 12-13
R. (see 11) Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
O God, with your judgment endow the king,
and with your justice, the king’s son;
He shall govern your people with justice
and your afflicted ones with judgment.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
The kings of Tarshish and the Isles shall offer gifts;
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring tribute.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out,
and the afflicted when he has no one to help him.
He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor;
the lives of the poor he shall save.
R. Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.
Alleluia See 1 Tm 3:16
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to you, O Christ, proclaimed to the Gentiles.
Glory to you, O Christ, believed in throughout the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Mk 6:45-52
After the five thousand had eaten and were satisfied,
Jesus made his disciples get into the boat
and precede him to the other side toward Bethsaida,
while he dismissed the crowd.
And when he had taken leave of them,
he went off to the mountain to pray.
When it was evening,
the boat was far out on the sea and he was alone on shore.
Then he saw that they were tossed about while rowing,
for the wind was against them.
About the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
He meant to pass by them.
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.
But at once he spoke with them,
“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!”
He got into the boat with them and the wind died down.
They were completely astounded.
They had not understood the incident of the loaves.
On the contrary, their hearts were hardened.
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