Fr. Gabriel's Reflection
12th Sunday in Ordinary Time A
Dear Beloved Family of St. Anselm,
Brothers and sisters in Christ, there are moments in life when fear becomes very real. Fear of rejection. Fear of criticism. Fear of standing alone. Fear of speaking the truth when the truth is no longer popular. The readings today enter directly into that human experience. The prophet Jeremiah cries out in anguish: “I hear the whisperings of many: ‘Terror on every side!’” His own friends watch for his downfall! Jeremiah does not surrender to despair. He proclaims: “But the Lord is with me, like a mighty champion.” In the Gospel, Jesus Christ tells His disciples three times: “Do not be afraid.” Not because suffering will disappear. Not because the world will suddenly applaud holiness. But because God remains faithful.
We are living in a time when many Christians feel pressured to remain silent about their faith. There is a growing temptation to dilute the Gospel, to hide Christian conviction to avoid conflict, ridicule, or exclusion. But Jesus speaks clearly today: “Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father.” The Lord never promised us popularity. He promised us His presence. And perhaps this is one of the greatest spiritual battles of our time: whether we will choose comfort over truth, silence over witness, convenience over discipleship: Will we still belong to Christ when it costs something?
Yet today’s Gospel is not ultimately about fear; it is about trust. Jesus says that even the sparrows are cared for by the Father, and “you are worth more than many sparrows.” In other words, God has not abandoned His people. He sees every wound, every hidden struggle, every silent tear, every lonely effort to remain faithful. Some of you are carrying heavy burdens today. Some are trying to hold families together in a confused culture. Some are struggling to pass on the faith to children and grandchildren. Some feel isolated because they are trying to live according to the teachings of Christ in a world that often mocks them. Today, the Lord says to you: Do not be afraid.
When we truly know that God is with us, we stop living as prisoners of human approval. We begin to live with courage, serenity, and conviction. Not arrogance. Not harshness. But quiet fidelity. The courage simply to belong to Christ. And that witness begins in ordinary ways:
- Choosing prayer over distraction,
- Remaining faithful to Mass and the sacraments,
- Teaching children to know and love Jesus
- Refusing bitterness and division,
- Standing for what is right even when it is difficult.
Today, Jesus places before us a consoling truth: the Father knows even the number of hairs on our heads. We are not forgotten. Let us ask for the grace to become disciples who are not ashamed of the Gospel. And may our lives proclaim before the world: Jesus Christ is Lord, and we are not afraid.
Amen.