Do not be afraid!

This post is in response to a reflection.

This has been one of repeated lines in our faith, apart from "God loves you." I think humans are innately afraid somehow, to varying degrees, of letting God into our lives. That His radiant light would illuminate the dark rooms of our lives, some of which we rather them remain dark and unseen.

Slowly allowing God into our lives, for allow God be God in our lives, brings to light(no pun intended) cobwebs, dusty rooms, dirty carpets(from many things swept under it), which no one, including ourselves would have noticed when the light of Christ was not shining in and through our lives. It is little wonder that few people, even Christians and Catholics are willing to let God fully into their lives. We serve God on our terms, allocating a few hours a week for ministry/prayer, reportioning the 24 hours that God has given us back to Him.

It is little wonder why there is a lack of awareness of vocation in our increasingly selfish world. Few bother anymore about the gift of vocation, God's unique plan for us in our lives. When discussing a priestly/religious life, everyone talks about the great sacrifice, celibacy, long years of formation. When discussing a life of a consecrated laity, it seems lonely, just because one is not married, but do not realise the distinction between aloneness and loneliness.

Facing our fears, our true selves, who we really are, created in God, may not be such a fun affair sometimes. No intense mountain-top experiences in worship, but perhaps immense shame/guilt at discovering how ugly we may be inside, as compared to how we would like others to see us, or how we would like to see ourselves.

"Do not be afraid!" exhorts the late Pope John Paul II on the first day of his papacy in 1978.

Pope Benedict XVI in His homily on Sunday, April 24th 2005 says:
"If we allow Christ into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life free, beautiful and great. No!

Only in this friendship are the doors of life opened wide.
Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence truly revealed.
Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation.

And so today, with great strength and conviction, on the basis of long personal experience of life, I say to you, dear young people: Do not be afraid of Christ!

He takes nothing away, and he gives you everything. When we give ourselves to Him, we receive a hundredfold in return. Yes, open, open wide the doors to Christ and you will find true life. Amen."

"When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night, he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost. They cried out, because they all saw him and were terrified. Immediately, he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid. " - Mk 6 :45-50"Lord, help us to recognise You passing by in the lakes of our lives. When we're tired from struggling to get ahead in our lives, our discernment, our situation and the oars don't seem to move. We trust that You always have sight of us, and we pray for the grace to not be afraid, so that we may see that it is You, working the miracles we don't yet recognise.

Lord, open the doors that need to be opened in our lives, and shut those that need to be closed. Amen"