“Jesus Christ, Lord of all things! You see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am—you alone. I am your sheep; make me worthy to overcome the devil.”
--St. Agatha
“Jesus Christ, Lord of all things! You see my heart, you know my desires. Possess all that I am—you alone. I am your sheep; make me worthy to overcome the devil.”
--St. Agatha
January 6, 2021
Wednesday after
Epiphany
Lectionary: 181
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 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
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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Take Courage!
What do you need more courage to do? In today's first reading we learn that courage, which replaces fear, is one of the fruits of love. Why? Well, think about this: How can we be afraid of anything if we know -- I mean, really know -- that God loves us and cares about us? This is the Lord who is infinitely bigger and more powerful than anything we could fear!
The feeling of fear is rooted in the idea that God doesn't always love us enough or care about our circumstances enough to meet our every need and save us from everything that seems fearsome. But if we've been doing our best to make decisions through the Holy Spirit's help and to follow Jesus and to remain united to God, every fear is baseless.
What's going on in your life that's bad and might get worse? What are you afraid might happen? What's the worst-case scenario? Have you turned this over to God? Can you relax knowing that God cares?
It's right to feel concerned. We know that bad stuff does happen because we (or our loved ones) have made bad decisions. We rightfully care about the trials we're enduring.
However, when fear takes this healthy concern and twists it into anxious worry, it takes our eyes off of Jesus and makes us dwell on all that's wrong and all that might go wrong, and thus we forget about the faithful love of God. Fear is concern minus trust in God.
Perfect love drives out all fear. What is "perfect" love? In scripture, the word "perfect" does not mean "without mistakes". It means "complete and total and full." God's love is perfect: He cares about us without making mistakes and also without lacking anything that's good for us. Jesus is all that we need for all that we need! Therefore, when we turn to God and trust in the fullness of his love, fear dissolves into powerless nothingness.
Every crucifix we see is a reminder that we can trust in God's goodness. If Jesus died for you enduring great pain and suffering, won't he also do everything else for you that is delightful to him? This is why, in today's Gospel passage, Jesus says, "Get a hold of yourself! Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid!"
In any fearsome situation, Jesus walks with us. He keeps us afloat even when we think we're drowning. Does his presence at your side seem real to you? Or does he seem more like a ghost: intangible and unavailable, unable to make a difference? This can be quite scary! If so, he's shaking his head, saying, "Stop that! I am here. Don't be afraid!"
Fear takes half-truths and completely false assumptions and blows them up bigger than we can handle. So shut out its lies and its images! Keep your eyes on Jesus! Listen to him say: "My beloved one, why are you afraid? I am with you always. Be assured that no disaster will overwhelm you nor destroy what I have given to you, for I will turn every storm into a blessing. Fear nothing, dear friend. Fear nothing, for my love is sufficient."
Today's Prayer
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for revealing to us our Father's love when we are obedient and humble. Amen.
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God Bless You.....
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