GOD WILL TAKE AWAY OUR FEARS - 04/22/23 (Saturday of the Second Week of Easter)

John 6:20-21

But he said to them, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” They wanted to take him into the boat, but the boat immediately arrived at the shore to which they were heading.

For the full readings, click here: 

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041721.cfm

Blessed Saturday! As we read in the gospel reading yesterday, the crowd seized our Lord Jesus because they wanted Him to be a king in a worldly sense. Because of this, Jesus escaped from them, and He went to the mountain to pray. In today's reading, the disciples decided to travel across sea using a boat by themselves without Christ. Unfortunately, strong winds blew their boat during a very dark night while the disciples became afraid. This event represents how fear will overwhelm us by the numerous problems and challenges we encounter when we do not journey with Christ in our life. These obstacles may pertain to our personal and family problems that may cause us to dwell in sadness. It can also be our strife with our family members or friends. Sometimes, we may also be afraid to practice the Catholic faith because of the numerous criticisms and mockeries that we will receive from those who reject our teachings. Still, our Lord wants us to remain hopeful. We should listen to the words of Jesus for us to have inner peace, and these words are, "It is I. Do not be afraid."

Even though the disciples traveled on their own without Jesus, our Lord was willing to look for them and accompany them. We have nothing to be afraid of because our Lord Jesus is always with us. We need to trust in Him. The sea became calmer when the disciples were with Jesus Christ. In the same way, for us to not be overwhelmed by our fears, we should also remember the presence of God, and this will happen when we have a good and stable prayer life. God is our strength, and we can receive His help as we face the problems when we trust in Him. Even when we feel anger or other strong emotions, we will learn to remain gentle when we immediately pray to Jesus and beg for His peace and for the grace to be patient. Although we cannot escape from worries because of our duties and work, we should not neglect the importance of our daily prayers. Let's choose to make some time for our prayers such as the rosary and gospel reflection. When we wake up, may we remember to speak to God, and before we go to sleep, let's not forget to review our day. In this way, we can give thanks to God for the blessings we receive, ask forgiveness for our sins and beg for grace to do good. When Jesus was with the disciples, they reached the shore. This represents that as long as we trust in Jesus and as we remember the presence of God, no matter how small or big our problems are, we will reach the heavenly shores. There may be times when our spiritual journey is shaky, but let's not be afraid, because Jesus is with us. 

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth