“This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad.” St. Luke’s Gospel has been reminding us, Sunday after Sunday, to hold fast to the trust we have in God and stay alert to His presence in our lives. Jesus’ words and deeds have been encouraging us to walk without fear, in the certainty that He always accompanies us. Today’s invitation (Luke 12) is to stay awake and “be ready.”
We know from personal experience that this is a daily “calling” we have received: to let go of worry and anxiety. At times, however, we feel almost “imprisoned” by anxiety. We are fearful of failure, of not being acknowledged and loved, fearful that we will never get out from under the dark cloud of Covid, fearful of not being able to realize our plans, of never being happy. But fear leads us to try to find solutions on our own, to find a space in which we can thrive according to our own plans, to accumulate goods and wealth, or to obtain what we think is “security.” And how do we usually end up? Living anxiously and constantly worrying.
Meanwhile, Jesus reassures us: “Do not be afraid. Trust in the Father who wants to give you all that you truly need.” The Father has already given us His Son and He will always accompany us with His providence, taking care of us every day. “Do not be afraid” – this is the one certainty that your hearts should be attached to. Love, after all, vanquished fear. To love means being attentive to the other, being aware of his or her needs, being willing to listen and embrace – it means being ready.
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Important dates: August 10 – Mass with the Anointing of the Sick; August 14 – “Family, Faith, Fun” event from 10am to 12pm; August 15 – Feast of the Assumption of Mary (Masses at 8:30am and 7pm)
