Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Devotion for today: If I believe in God, why I am so afraid?


Psalm 23:4: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

2 Timothy 1:7: For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline.

John 14:27: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen: “We fear tomorrow because we have no yesterdays to light the way, we act like dull tragedians not knowing what the future holds because we have forgotten the past. The principles which once were taken for granted, because beyond legal controversy or human manipulation, are today challenged.” (Seven Pillars of Peace)

Jesus I trust in You. (Diary of St. Faustina)

St. Augustine:  “Trust the past to God’s mercy, the present to God’s love, and the future to God’s providence.”

Padre Pio: Pray, hope and don’t worry!

Fear is something all of us experience. In today’s world, we justifiably fear war, economic collapse, attacks for our beliefs, and personal suffering. It can become a habit to dwell on the evils existing in the world and talk of nothing but the negative forces marching through our world. If we profess to believe in God, then why are we so afraid?

I think we need to start at the beginning of our source of fear. I think we need to ask ourselves what we mean when we say that we believe in God.  We profess this every time we pray the Creed, and it has to be the basis of our faith, or why would we stay in the Church? Yet, how often do we dwell on the meaning of this? Who is God to us? How do we see Him in our lives? How do we see ourselves in relation to Him? Is He an impersonal God who is busy running the world and not too interested in us personally? Maybe we see Him only as a judge who will face us at the end of our lives? Do we believe that God loves us very much, that He wants to be seen as our Father who He asks for one thing, and that is our trust?

The secret to a life free of anxiety and fear is in the expression found at the bottom of the Image of Divine Mercy: Jesus I trust in You. I think it is time for all of us to realize that although the world is filled with many sources of fear it is only through faith in God, and trust in His divine mercy, that all of the dangers we face can be overcome. We cannot stop the evil in the world by fear. We can make a great difference in the world by praying for the conversion of sinners, for peace, and for our own sanctity.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Take every opportunity to reflect on the passion of Christ to realize how much He loves us. Pray constantly for the world, for sinners and for yourself, that in any trial or temptation you may be strong and steadfast in your faith. The most tragic thing that can happen to anyone is to lose the opportunity for eternal life. We may lose everything in the world, but it will not matter if we stay faithful. God has us in the palm of His hand, and He loves us very much. Remember the words of my seventh grade nun to use in any trial we face: I must need this for my salvation!

Prayer Jesus asked St. Faustina to pray for the salvation of the world:
Eternal Father, I offer you the body and blood, soul and divinity of your dearly beloved Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus, Christ, in atonement of our sins and those of the whole world. For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
For more information on the power of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, please visit the website: http://thedivinemercy.org



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