Homily: January, 8, 2025 Wednesday after Epiphany (Take courage)

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Holy family school Homily

Did you listen carefully to today’s first reading and the Gospel? There are two phrases that really struck me.

From the Gospel, Jesus says, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid!”

And from the first reading: "There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear…"

Let me ask you: is there anyone here who has no fear, who does not fear anything at all?

Do you think I have any fears?

Oh yes, I do! I do not fear death, illness, wild animals, reptiles, or insects. But I am fearful of dark places and confined spaces.

I do not fear crowds of people, but believe it or not, I fear preaching! Yes, every time I walk up to the ambo to preach, my heart starts beating heavily. Thankfully, I’m getting better at managing that fear.

While I do not fear death for myself, I am afraid of losing my loved ones. When I was in 4th grade, one of my best friends lost his dad suddenly. From that time, I started fearing that I might lose my own parents too. Eventually, I did lose both my parents at a relatively young age, but I somehow managed it better than I expected. The things I had feared the most did not happen in the way I imagined.

We all have fears, some big some small. It gets frightening when we think we have to handle all our fears on our own, when we think there is no one to help us when we face our fearful situations. The truth is, we are not alone.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Jesus promises us that He will never leave us alone and will be with us until the end of time.

Jesus, who is God, is with us always. When we truly believe this, what we fear may still be real, but it does not control us anymore.

Because Jesus loves us truly and perfectly. And we heard in the first reading, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear…”

The love that Jesus has for us is true and perfect. When we allow that love to fill our hearts and minds, when we believe in that, we will be able to walk confidently and fearlessly.

That is why we see the apostles and saints being very brave even when they were persecuted, tortured, very ill or dying. They were not afraid at all. They know that everything will pass away. And when they enter eternal life, they will have great joy and peace living with Jesus. Everything on earth that made them worry will be gone. 

The more we trust Jesus, the less fear we will carry.

So let’s take courage. Trust Jesus. He is always with you. Let His perfect love fill your heart and mind, and drive out all fear. Have a fearless day!

Amen.


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