April 22, 2012 – John 6:18-21 – Jesus walks on the water

In the gospel of John, Father Robert Reed spoke about the clear message of Jesus: “Do not be afraid!”   It is the favorite expression in the bible. Jesus said these words oftentimes to his apostles, disciples and followers. It clearly indicates that no matter what happens, we will never be abandoned by God as long as we believe. God’s love is eternal.  If we live in fear, we live in anxiety, make mistakes, hate and kill people. We worry so much which makes us difficult to be a Christian. We are afraid of people and of being punished due to their bad power and authority. But things that frighten us do not come from God. Despite the storms of life which can result to fear, the risen Jesus is always present within us.  We should speak directly to God for strength and guidance.

However, not all fear is bad, there is a fear that’s healthy and good which is a sign of maturity of love. This is called the fear of God which is holy and the beginning of wisdom. According to Fr. Ron Rolheiser, holy fear is love’s fear, namely, the kind of fear that is inspired by love1/. It’s a fear based upon reverence and respect for person or a thing we love. We live in holy fear when we are anxious not to betray a trust or disrespect someone. We fear God as one fear someone in love, a gracious presence who desires mutually loving relationship, one of holy fear. We fear God because we are afraid of his punishment. We don’t want God to be mad at us so we must love Him superbly. God is love, so we love the Lord our God with our whole heart, with our whole soul and with our mind. 

1/ Fr. Ron Rolheiser, “ In Exile”, 15 April 2015, The Catholic Register