(Daniel 6:12-28; Daniel 3:68-74; Luke 21;20-28)
Many of us have heard the phrase, there is nothing to fear but fear itself. Certainly fear can be a real source of evil and darkness in the world and we know how wicked people use fear as a weapon. It can paralyze us and even let despair flood our hearts. As a mother, I am constantly having to hold back my fear of something bad happening to my children and allow them to learn from their mistakes. We know that overprotecting our children does them serious harm in the long run; they need to experience consequences and learn from the world around them. Fear does have it’s place though, and like pain, it is for necessary for survival. My maternal fear helps keep them safe, just as pain allows us to know when we are hurt. Fear is not bad in of itself, but it is destructive if we let it take hold and rule our lives.
Jesus tells us in the gospel of Mark, “Do not be afraid; just have faith” (5:…36). I often think of St. John Paul II, in his opening line to his papacy, “Be not afraid. Open up, no; swing wide the gates to Christ” (1978). The theme we hear over and over again in the bible is that we truly have nothing to fear if we rely on God, trust him, and serve him faithfully. Evil, even death has no hold over us as long as we do God’s will. Our first reading today from Daniel is the well known story of Daniel being thrown into a lions den. Certainly he had reason to be afraid, and yet he trusted, and God protected him because of his immense faith. Let us think more about the situation that Daniel found himself in. He was a refuge, his people had been massacred by the Babylonians and he was told that practicing his religion would get him killed. Daniel showed great courage; he persevered in his devotion despite being surrounded by people who denounced God and threatened to harm him. His devotion to God not only saved his earthly life, but it helped turn the heart of the King. What a powerful witness!
When I look at the world around me, I see a society that in many ways rejects God. I see a culture that tells me that freedom is doing whatever I want, that money is power. I see a culture that rewards vanity and encourages envy. I see sexual immorality as the norm, and many other sins being muddied so much that people don’t even see them as wrong. I see violence, acts of terror and hate. These things are really nothing new. I think of Daniel being surrounded by Godless people (and by lions for that matter) and I think I can understand just a little bit of how he must feel. It is not only fear, but apathy that threatens us. There are many lies surrounding us and there is much indifference towards God; sports stadiums are packed, and church pews are empty. This is certainly disheartening and even menacing to God’s faithful people. Secular society has a way of seeping into our lives in very dangerous ways if we do not put Christ at the center of everything. Similarly, fear has a way of creeping in and threatening our walk with God. It is not easy being Christian, even in places in the world where we are relatively safe from physical persecution, because Christianity really is counter cultural. Us humans do not like to go against the grain of what our peers are doing. It is difficult. We also see so many Christians who are not living the gospel; this also makes our walk difficult. It can be a scary world and we must work at surrounding our mind and hearts with peace and trust in God. We must remember that even though battles for good continue, because of free will, the war has been won! Fear not my friends, our Savior has come! Christ is among us! Our lives need to reflect our participation in the body of Christ. Let us cling to His cross and “Be not afraid! …swing wide the gates to Christ.”
How do we live out St. John Paul the Great’s instruction? First and foremost, we must pray. We must pray just as fervently as Daniel did even as he knew it would put him in physical danger. We must pray for our brother and sister Christians who are struggling to live a faithful life, who many not know Jesus on a personal level. We must pray for the conversion of all people to the way, the truth, the light, who is Christ Jesus. We must pray for those who are persecuted for their faith and for those who live in fear and despair. We must pray for ourselves, that we might walk along the narrow path and be a living witness. Prayer is our weapon. After Jesus prayed with great intensity in the garden of Gethsemane, he called to his disciples: “Rise, let us be on our way” (Mark 14:42). St. John Paul II chose these beautiful words as the title of one of his books, and he says of them: “Even if these words indicate a time of trial, great effort, and a painful cross, we must not allow ourselves to give way to fear. They are also words of peace and joy, the fruit of faith” (Rise, Let Us Be On Way, 2004). Let us too pray, and then be on our way, The Way, and let us pray that our walk with Christ is a witness for all to see.
