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The words, “Do not be afraid,” appear more than 100 times in the bible.
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It’s what Moses told the Israelites while the Lord was leading them out slavery in Egypt into the Promised Land.
“Do not be afraid.”
They’re the same words the Archangel Gabriel spoke to Mary before she conceived in her womb.
“Do not be afraid.”
It’s what Jesus tells his disciples in today’s Gospel and, again, after his resurrection. Hard days were ahead for those early Christians, but Jesus says: “Do not be afraid.”
Some 2,000 years later after Communism fell in Europe, Pope John Paul II reminded Catholics around the world, “Do not be afraid.”
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It’s a timely message for all of us.
People are still afraid of catching COVID; afraid of returning to work; afraid of not finding a job. Some priests are afraid of Catholics not returning to church.
But Jesus reminds us, he’s stronger than the trials we face; he assures us of his strength. Whatever God intends for us to do, we can do it all through Christ who strengthens us.
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“Do not be afraid,” Jesus says, “I have overcome the world.”
Amen