Do Not Be Afraid

This last week the second reading in the Liturgy of the Hours was from St. Augustine. It was from his sermon On Pastors. On Saturday he was talking about being chastised by God. I found it very important to our relationship with God. When we pray, do acts of charity or something else, very often we think that those acts will bring us a blessing that will make our life better. It is a confusion that has mislead many people. If I will do something for God, he will pay me back. But that is not what the Bible says.

If God wasn't afraid to sacrifice His only Son, why should He give us a break from being tested by him? Is this not what a good father does for his children -- make them stronger in character by exposing them to different difficulties? We forgot that this was one of the promises given by Christ: they will take you to courts, they will accuse you, they will persecute you.

There are many obstacles in our life, but all of them are necessary for us. They make our faith stronger, more mature. I have seen on the internet some Mass celebrations from the 80's and 90's. There was something very disturbing in them. They looked like people were the center of this celebration and Jesus Christ just stopped by to shake their hands. It didn't look like a sacrifice but rather like an emotional gathering pleasing people's needs. The entire time was about making the coming week a time of happiness and joy. I am afraid this is not how real life is.

If we see what happened on Golgotha, how much suffering Jesus Christ took upon His shoulders, then our small difficulties seem to be nothing. I would say more. We need those obstacles because they help us to grow and be responsible. They show us the true meaning of internal freedom that leads to external freedom. Do not be afraid to grasp your cross. Take it and carry it on. The way on Golgotha is hard but the glory of the resurrection is the biggest prize we can get.