In our Gospel today, we hear Jesus mention fear three times. “Fear no one … do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul … do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” In several post-Resurrection appearances of Jesus to his disciples, his first words also were “Do not be afraid.” Theologian Daniel Horan has some books and YouTube presentations about fear. He sees fear as an enemy of mature spirituality because it blocks us from forming relationships. Citing the work of American neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux, Horan makes the distinction between fear — something that responds to an external threat — and anxiety. Anxiety’s threat is more internal, more of an expectation that something we imagine may actually happen. We can be emotionally held hostage when authorities use the anxiety-fear relationship to turn hypothetical dangers into real threats. Then we think the worst of others and prepare to defend ourselves.
We live in an anxious time. Possible fearful scenarios swirl around AI and its consequences; around what other countries might do; around possible dangers posed by behaviors of the opposite political party; around what the markets might do (buy gold!) that will threaten our financial security; around what children (including adult children) might be doing; around possible bad changes in our Church; and on and on. LeDoux’s work shows that there is a neurological explanation for all this fear and anxiety — we’re wired that way. So are animals who share lots of DNA with us humans. And so were people in Jesus’ time. Jesus’ resurrection gave us hope that our lives and efforts, what we are at our best, survive death. By defeating the ultimate threat of death, Jesus gave his followers hope to face the real external threats of their times. It helped them to not let anxiety stop them from being his witnesses, and even martyrs. “Do not be afraid.” When we find ourselves stopped in our tracks, hesitating to say or do something that the good in us inspires us to, these words of Jesus invite us to ask: What am I afraid of? And why? And then we call on the Lord, who faced fear of his own death, to walk with our anxious and fearful selves.
— Blog entry by Sister Mary Garascia
The post June 21, 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Fear: a Sunday Scriptures blog first appeared on Sisters of the Precious Blood.