Matthew 1:18-25
Between the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, some form of “Do not be afraid” appears over a hundred times. In today’s Gospel reading, an angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream and tells him, “Do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.” When Joseph awoke from his dream, “he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him.”
In writing to Father Bogaerts in New Orleans, “A glimpse ahead might fill one with trepidation were it not for our trust in God who directs all things” (January 24, 1874), wasn’t Mother Pauline really saying, “Do not be afraid”
In the homily for the inauguration of his pontificate in 1978, Pope John Paul II said, “Do not be afraid to welcome Christ and accept his power. . . . Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ. To his saving power open the boundaries of States, economic and political systems, the vast fields of culture, civilization and development. Do not be afraid. Christ knows ‘what is in man.’ He alone knows it.” Many times throughout his almost 30-year pontificate, the Holy Father reminded us, “Do not be afraid.” In fact, Do Not Be Afraid is the title of a book he wrote in 1984.
From Joseph of Nazareth to Mother Pauline to Pope St. John Paul II, we have received so many reminders not to be afraid. Today, as we enter into the last few days before Christmas, let us attempt to name a fear and prayerfully offer it to God. If we have trouble doing this, let us remember Joseph’s dream and the words of both Mother Pauline and Pope John Paul II. Imagine what would have happened to each of them (and to us) had they not faced their fears and done as the Lord commanded them!
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