12th Sunday in Ordinary Time

The song “Fallin” by Leah Salonga started with these lyrics:

I’m afraid to fly

And I don’t know why

I’m jealous of the people who are not afraid to die.

The word “afraid” immediately appears twice in this phrase. In the first instance, the word “afraid” points out to one’s phobia particularly of flying (aviophobia). This fear is often accompanied or even caused by other types of phobia such as one’s fear of heights, fear of being over water, fear that something may go wrong while flying, etc. Unlikely, however, in this song “Fallin,” what triggers one’s fear is the broken or unfulfilled promise made by another to her. This is expressed in this next phrase,

It’s just that I recall

Back when I was small

Someone promised that they’d catch me

And then they let me fall…

In the second instance, the word “afraid” is connected to a fear of what life or death may bring. It is more on a fear of the unknown.

In both instances, whether what triggers one fear is real or imagined, fear can hold one back to live in the past, thus she cannot live her life fully in the present moment or to face her future. Handling one’s fear then seems a determining factor of one’s greatness or failure in life or in love. When there is fear, one cannot live her life fully. When there is fear, one cannot love to the fullest.

In my experience as I grow older, I become afraid of almost everything. There is this fear of my future, fear to grow old and become sick, fear of dying, fear of sleeping and never wake up anymore, fear of waking up to know that a loved one is lost, fear to have no fear at all and become reckless, etc. Because of this fear, I cannot give my life fully in the ministry. Because of this fear, I cannot love our parish to the fullest. There is a need to have an outlet of this fear, and thanks that though I am not a basketball player, I played basketball to release my fear. Yet this is not enough though it is helpful. Fear comes back to strike again.

Today’s Gospel (Matthew 10: 26-33) talks about handling one’s fear which could cripple us to live and love fully as human. Jesus said, “Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”  With these words, Jesus is telling us that to overcome our greatest fear, we have to seek comfort in the great love of God for us. It is when we know, believe and feel that God loves us then we know, believe and feel that He takes care of everything as everything is under His control. Instead of allowing our fear to paralyze us, we are called to speak about Jesus, speak of Jesus, speak to Jesus to show the world that we can live and love fully because of Him. Jesus added, “So every one who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven.” In understanding these words, one who lives and loves fully cannot but acknowledge Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. He therefore who has no fear, praises Jesus the Lord. Him alone he fears and no other. Psalm 34: 4 has this to say, “I sought the Lord, and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.” In short, only in God’s love we can be at rest, to live and love without fear, to live and love fully in this world.