I remember a time when I was a young adult and used to be part of a youth group at my local parish. We were a mixed bunch of people with all sorts of characters and despite our differences, we got along pretty well.
Like any young person in the society that we live in today, I often felt insecure about myself and with the people around me. I was afraid about expressing my faith, revealing my weaknesses, the fear of being incompetent and comparing myself to others, and how others would think of me.
There were many other things as well and I am sure we all share those experiences. Despite all this, fear was pretty much everywhere, and it all started with being insecure.
I learnt that there is no need to feel insecure if I would open myself up to the Lord and follow his ways and make it happen in my own reality. My youth group helped me walk this journey and over time with the guidance of priests, I learnt about my vocation in life thanks to the moral support and guidance of those who truly cared for me.
In the first reading from the book of Jeremiah, we learn about the young prophet who feels vulnerable in his surroundings. From the first chapter, we recall how the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you … I appointed you a prophet to the nations”. (Jer 1:5)
And later the prophet would respond, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young”. (Jer 1:6-7) Scripture scholars would comment that the young prophet was in his early 20’s when the Lord called him and we can sympathise with his anxieties about taking a higher calling in life.
The prophet shows us how difficult it can be to navigate our way in the world with so much negativity. There are many occasions where we can be afraid. We can be afraid by the way people talk about us because of our faith, by the way we want to say the sign of the cross before meal at our workplaces, mingling with people of different faiths and various opinions about life and so much more.
But the prophet places his trust in the Lord which we can see being expressed by many around us. He says, “But the Lord is at my side, a mighty hero; my opponents will stumble…”. (Jer 20:11) God makes his presence known in our lives especially in times of need. We just need to cling onto him in faith as the prophet Jeremiah teaches us.
In the Gospel we find those words of encouragement in which the Lord often expresses in the bible. Jesus instructs his disciples, “Do not be afraid…”. (Mt 10:26) How often do we leave these words unnoticed? If we take a moment on what these words mean, we can immediately recall how the Lord has been our source of encouragement especially when we have failed. Many of us are facing the fear of failure which is a profound experience that truly weighs heavy in our souls.
It is worth reminding ourselves that even though we may fail, especially due to sin, failure can never be the occasion of giving up but to rise. In St. Paul’s letter to the Romans he encourages the early Christian communities, “If it is certain that through one man’s fall so many died, it is even more certain that divine grace, coming through the one man Jesus Christ, came to so many as an abundant free gift”. (Rm 5:15)
The words of St. Paul bring consolation to us because we know from experience that each time we fall into sin, it is the Lord who raises us up in grace. The Lord instructs the twelve as a way of instructing the entire people of God throughout time that if we are to persevere in his name, there is nothing that he can’t do.
It is a test of the faith that we are always called to respond in every moment of time. The Lord remains faithful to his people so long as we trust in him and follow his very instructions on how we are to carry our crosses and live a life of holiness.
Let us rise to take courage so that we may respond with confidence and trust in the word of God. When Jesus commands us to not be afraid, let us not be afraid but live out every moment as a blessing from God.
Each time we bend that knee in failure is a call to rise in grace through the way of the cross. It is the Lord who helps us in this journey and through him, we will always be granted mercy and compassion.
Fr. Jeremy Santoso OSPPE is the Assistant Priest of St. Margaret Mary’s Parish, Merrylands
