Be Not Afraid
“Do not be afraid.
Do not be satisfied with mediocrity.
Put out into the deep
and let down your nets for a catch….
I plead with you--never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire,
and never become discouraged.
Be not afraid.”
Pope St. John Paul II
The words “Be Not Afraid” are written 365 times in the Bible. That’s one for every day of the year. The fact that God has reminded us continuously throughout Sacred Scripture to have no fear and trust in Him can bring great comfort.
There are many instances throughout life where we can become stifled by fear: the fear of failure, the fear of not fitting in, of not being good enough, of what tomorrow will bring, etc.
Two virtues that can deal with fears are courage and trust. When confronted with fear, we are called to:
try new experiences.
confront and deal with a difficult relationship or situation
share inner thoughts and experiences with others.
trust that God is in charge and nothing can destroy me, not even death.
Dealing with our fears on a daily basis offers us the opportunity to grow spiritually and psychologically.
With that in mind, here are seven suggestions for dealing with fear from Ascension Catholic:
Name the fear. If the fear is not apparent to you, take time to name what it is you are afraid of. Sometimes we feel fearful but we really don’t know why. Taking time to pinpoint exactly what we are anxious or fearful about can be very helpful.
Own the fear. All too often, we deny or repress our fears or minimize their presence. Acknowledging our fears is key to dealing with them. It is good and healthy to say out loud: I feel scared about…; I am fearful of…; I am as mad as hell at…; I am jealous of….
Befriend or be present to your fears or other negative feelings. Psychologists and spiritual guides encourage us to “befriend our shadow,” that dark side or part of us that we tend to deny or keep in the closet and never relate to. The more we deny or repress our dark side, the more power it will have in our lives. Whether we like it or not, undealt-with hurts and fears will impact in negative ways our personal relationships and other aspects of our lives. Fear, anger, hate, jealousy—all have a powerful ability to steal our joy, hold us back, and prevent us from living free and happy lives.
Share your fear with a trusted friend. The decision to share an uncomfortable feeling with a trusted friend can be very helpful. When we take this step, we bring our fears out into the light from the deep recesses of our hearts where we keep them hidden.
Pray for and develop the virtues of courage and trust. St. Augustine said: “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.” When faced with fear, we should pray for courage, and trust that all things work for the good of those who love the Lord. With that in mind, we will find it easier to plan our next steps.
Take action. We can allow our fears to paralyze us or we can confront them. Taking action in the face of fear will help to build our courage. The choice is always ours. And the choice we make will determine whether we grow spiritually and psychologically.
Entrust your fears to the Lord. There are a lot of potential and real fears that we have no control over— job and material security, sickness, accidents, relationships (family and friends), loss of loved ones, etc. We must pray and offer these fears to God, and at the same time, work at developing an attitude of acceptance.
After over 30 years of dedicated ministry, including 5 years at Resurrection, Susan Perrault is retiring.
Resurrection takes time this weekend to celebrate the gifts Susan has brought to our parish family as Pastoral Minister. Her creativity and faithfulness have enriched our parish family, especially through her work with Baptism families, those that grieving during times of loss, and assistance to those in nursing homes and home bound.
We wish her many days of relaxation and joyfulness as she begins a new chapter in her book of life.
Join us for Mass this weekend in person at 4:00 PM on Saturday, 8:30 or 10:30 AM on Sunday, on www.gbres.org/live, our YouTube channel, and our Facebook page.
READINGS FOR THIS WEEKEND’S MASSES
VIRTUALLY SUNDAY REFLECTION
How do we announce the Gospel? Through our words, actions, and sharing, we proclaim the truth of the Gospel. The world needs to know the teachings of Jesus, and we are called to confront the areas of the world most in need of his message. Join Fr Tim as he reflects on this weekend's scripture readings.
Families
This Weekend's Bulletin
(click to read)
Newest Members Baptized into our Parish Family
Recent Loss in our Parish Family
Revealed Podcast
Katie and Tony have the opportunity to listen as Martha shares her story as a transgender person.
Related Articles:
Announcements
As we officially begin our countdown to our 60th Anniversary as a parish, we offer daily thoughts written by charter members, past and current pastoral leaders, and parishioners of all ages.
We hope their stories of our beginnings, of moments of faith,
of signs of promise,
and prayers of gratitude
inspire us all to move into the future,
a future full of hope.
Share your memories, reflections, thoughts and stories via our online form
or email Tony Staley at TonyRes60th@gmail.com
by June 25.
Ruby and Res
Even though Ruby understands that Susan has earned her retirement, she's going to miss her (and of course treat time with Susan)!
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