Do not be afraid

"He was going to pass them by, but when they saw him walking on the water they thought it was a ghost and cried out; for they had all seen him and were terrified. But at once he spoke to them and said, "Courage! It is me! Don't be afraid." Then he got into the boat with them and the wind dropped." (Mark 6: 48 – 51)

Jesus calmed the fears of his disciples by saying to them: 'Be courageous. Do not be afraid. It is me.' In order to fight fear in our lives, we need faith and courage. We need also to be intensely aware of the presence of Jesus with us. We are not alone in that place, in those circumstances. St. Paul when he found himself abandoned by his friends in court, picked up courage when he became aware of the presence of Jesus at his side.

What am I afraid of today? Money, shelter, security, job or ill health? O Holy Spirit, please reveal to me that of which I am afraid of now so that I can pray about it. Whatever I may be afraid of here and now, I am consoled by the thought that Jesus Christ has the absolute power to help me. He is in me and near me with his perfect love and perfect solution. So I will not fear.