Nov 21 Thu
Do not be afraid! I am by your side.
A second time the angel spoke to Mary. She was troubled by his greeting, and so he tells her, “Do not be afraid.” The first time he said, “The Lord is with you”. Now, the second time, he said, “Do not be afraid.” In the Scriptures, whenever God appears to those who receive him, he loves to utter those words: Do not be afraid! He says them to Abraham (cf. Gen 15:1), repeats them to Isaac (cf. Gen 26:24), to Jacob (cf. Gen 46:3), and so on, up to Joseph (cf. Mt 1:20) and Mary.
Do not be afraid! This way, he sends us a clear and comforting message: once our lives are open to God, fear can no longer hold us in bondage. For fear can truly hold us in bondage.
You, dear sister, dear brother, if your sins frighten you, if your past worries you, if your wounds do not heal, if your constant failings dishearten you, and if you seem to have lost hope, please, do not be afraid. God knows your weaknesses and is greater than your mistakes. God is greater than our sins.
He asks of you only one thing: that you not hold your frailties and sufferings inside. Bring them to Him, lay them before Him and, from being reasons for despair, they will become opportunities for resurrection. Do not be afraid!
The Lord asks us for our sins, to offer Him our weaknesses. This brings to mind the story of a monk in the desert. He had given everything to God and lived a life of fasting, penance, and prayer. The Lord asked for more. “Lord, I gave you everything”, said the monk, “what more is there?” The Lord replied, “Give me your sins”. Do not be afraid!
The Blessed Virgin Mary accompanies us: she cast her anxiety upon God. The angel’s proclamation gave her good reason to be afraid. He proposed something unimaginable and beyond her abilities, something that she could not handle alone: there would be too many difficulties, and problems with the Mosaic law, with Joseph, with the citizens of her town, and with her people. Yet Mary did not object. Those words – do not be afraid – were sufficient for her; God’s reassurance was enough for her.
She clung to God, as we want to do now. Yet so often we do the exact opposite. We start from our own certainties and, when we lose them, we turn to God. Our Lady, on the other hand, teaches us to start from God, trusting that in this way everything else will be given to us (cf. Mt 6:33). She invites us to go to the source, to the Lord, who is the ultimate remedy against fear and emptiness in life.
There is a lovely phrase written above a confessional in the Vatican that reminds us of this. It addresses God with these words, “To turn away from You is to fall; to turn back to You is to rise; to abide in You is to have life” (St. Augustine).
Homily, Pope Francis.
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