We must always allow the virtue of hope to overcome fear.
The unknown is something that we are often uncomfortable with. Many different “what ifs” fill our mind. This is especially true when something bad has happened that pops up in our life, world, or community. The void of the unknown is filled with many different possibilities which are often out of our control.
If we put this gospel into its proper context we would notice that it just followed the Lord commissioning of His twelve apostles. In doing so He sent them out and let them know that life would be difficult for them at times do to the call that they had received. Therefore, this passage brings hope in the midst of the unknown that they will face.
So too we need to discover this hope that overcomes fear. We must realize that we have been given a life of faith and with this gift we are to do something with it. This means heading out into the abundant harvest of the Lord and living the faith and sharing it with others. Such a task can fill the heart with fear, but we must remember that we have been sent forth by the gift of God’s grace.
Over the course of this Gospel passage we were told “Do not fear” on three occasions. In other words we must look to the cross, see that the Lord laid down His life for us out of love, that He rose on the third day, and thus in that balance we are given hope. As the Catechism puts it hope is “the theological virtue by which we desire the kingdom of heaven and eternal life as our happiness, placing our trust in Christ’s promises and relying not on our own strength, but on the help of the grace of the Holy Spirit.”
This hope became true for the disciples of the Lord. Many of them would be forced to face a martyr’s death. Nevertheless, they endured for the believed and professed Christ to be the Lord. They understood the importance of the soul and Everlasting Life with God. This became their hope in the midst of fear.
We must also have this same unwavering profession of faith. Fear cannot prevent us from proclaiming the gospel with all of its demands. We are called upon to be faithful to God in all that we say and do. Whatever the fear that is present within our life we must place our trust in Christ and be willing to walk with Him despite ridicule, criticism, or rejection.
Let us be filled not with fear, but with hope.
In the words of Saint John Paul II: “I plead with you! Never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged. Be not afraid.”
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