"Do not be afraid. Do not be satisfied with mediocrity”

“Do you realize that Jesus is there in the tabernacle expressly for you- for you alone? He burns with the desire to come into your heart… don’t listen to the demon, laugh at him, and go without fear to receive the Jesus of peace and love…” ― St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Gospel Text: (MT 8:23-27)
As Jesus got into a boat, his disciples followed him.
Suddenly a violent storm came up on the sea,
so that the boat was being swamped by waves;
but he was asleep.
They came and woke him, saying,
“Lord, save us! We are perishing!”
He said to them, “Why are you terrified, O you of little faith?”
Then he got up, rebuked the winds and the sea,
and there was great calm.
The men were amazed and said, “What sort of man is this,
whom even the winds and the sea obey?”

Life is filled with many difficulties and challenges that cause us to be fearful. Each day we are confronted with many events that may cause us to become apprehensive. Going to a new school; starting a new job; having to take the car in for repairs on the busiest day of the week; dealing with a computer virus; missing an important deadline at work; getting laid off from work; coping with a child's sudden illness; these are just some of the many things that happen each day that may cause us to be filled with fear, sick with apprehension.

What is fear? Fear is defined as "an unsettledness of soul consequent upon the apprehension of some present or future danger." However, while a normal type of fear prevents us from doing dangerous things; abnormal fear paralyzes the human soul.

The remedy for fear is faith, "The realization of what is hoped for and evidence of the things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).

Unfortunately our materialistic society attempts to find comfort and security in a luxurious home, lots of money, unlimited access to credit, or a big promotion at work. The sad reality of building ones life on those superficial things is they can all be taken away from us in a split second! If you don’t believe me, just read today’s news. It’s full of stories about people, who one minute are on top of the world and the next they have lost it all. The lesson to learn here is only God can provide the security that we all long for so that we can handle the many challenges and difficulties that come our way each day.

Without a doubt, we live in a very difficult world. It is very easy to succumb to the darkness of fear. But, this is where we have been given an excellent opportunity to grow in holiness. Let God sit in the driver's seat. Give him the keys. Let him take over.

We do not know what tomorrow holds but we know Who holds tomorrow. Without God we can do nothing. But with God we can do anything He calls us to do.