"Be Not Afraid"

Do not fear: I am with you; do not be anxious: I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. -Isaiah 41:10

 

We see verses throughout scripture that tell us “be not afraid.” These words are encouraging, but at times it is easier said than done. We may know that God is with us, that He is for us, and that with Him all things are possible, but we also know that we face people in life who want us to keep our faith to ourselves, people who joke about the Catholic Church, and people who reject the message of love. We also have a fear of upsetting people if we fight for our faith and we don’t want to seem like we are judging others.

 But the truth is, if we don’t reach out to others, we are doing more of a disservice than we are when we give them a taste of the truth in a loving manner. I recently heard a priest say “truth without love is cruelty; love without truth is abandonment.” We know that we have an incredible gift because of our faith. We know that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. We know that He gave His life for us and as if that weren’t enough, He humbled Himself to the point of turning ordinary bread and wine into His own body and blood, so that we could consume Him, and He could remain with us forever. We are loved and we are all chosen. The difference is, we know we are chosen and others still have yet to realize they are children of God. We want others to know this message, so we have to tell it to them. We need to share our faith and hope. He is with us, and if we are receptive to the promptings of His spirit working in us, if we give our “yes” even in trial and hardship, He will give us the words and wisdom to speak truth with love. There is nothing to fear.

A few weekends ago, I met over 100 high school students who have stepped up and said “yes” to the Lord, serving as leaders across the Diocese of Helena. Two of our Reach teams participated in a weekend long meeting in which these young leaders discerned a theme for their convention, prayed together, and gathered to share in the love of Christ. They planned details for a convention that has the ability to bring so many of their peers into a deeper relationship with Christ. It was beautiful to witness so many youth giving their time, talent, and treasure to the Lord and wanting to serve with their whole heart. Throughout the weekend, the students were reminded that they are called to evangelize and to invite; to be witnesses and show others that Christ is alive, and wants a relationship with them. They have said “yes” to being brave, to putting their trust in the Lord, and to remaining faithful.

 I am blessed to be with Reach Youth Ministry this year, to have the opportunity to work with some great people and serve awesome youth. However, I am also blessed because I get to learn from those I serve. We ALL are the Church and it is beautiful to recognize that we work together to build up the kingdom of God. Whether you are a youth, young adult, or adult, YOU are the Church, and YOU can help bring others home. God bless J