Saturday of the Second Week of Easter
“It is I. Do not be afraid.” These words of Christ to His disciples should give us strength. This is something that we hear often in the bible. Jesus’ words “Do not be afraid” have important implications for our daily lives. We are not called to live in fear, but called to live in freedom. This reminds me of the song “Be not afraid” written by Fr. Bob Dufford, SJ. He wrote this song in the months prior to his ordination. In Fr. Dufford’s song, one line states, “Be not afraid, I go before you always…” Christ is always with us. I am also reminded of the prayer of St. Patrick’s Breastplate”: “Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ beside me…” Christ is always among us. He desires us to abide in Him, and He will abide in us. Be not afraid! St. Patrick reminds us to maintain our awareness that no matter where we are, Christ is always there alongside us, facing every moment, especially the difficult moments with us.
Fear holds us back from allowing God to enter our lives. Surrender is hard, but in surrendering our fears, we can unite ourselves to Christ in an intimate way. When we unite our fears, joys, and sufferings to Christ crucified, He can take the weight of our trials from us and give us peace. He desires us to bring all of ourselves, including our fears, to Him just as a loving father would ask of his own child. Christ in the gospel is showing His love for His disciples; He does not desire us to be afraid, but to abide in Him. We should not fear the storms and turmoil that surround us, but rather turn to Him with our troubles, just as He tells His disciples to do in today’s gospel.
Reflection by Raymond, seminarian
Posted in Article for Easter, Daily Reflections