** We will resume Sunday Mass on August 25, 2013 @ 5:00 pm ***
TITLE:
“Courage, Fear,
Pentecost”
[__01__] This Sunday, Pentecost, we observe the
transformation, the conversion of the disciples from …
·
A
secret hideaway (in the upper room of the last supper / Last Supper)
·
Uncertainty
and mistrust to … determination.
This
transformation is precisely what we
would expect. On the one hand, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is courage –
or fortitude.
We
sing of this new strength at Easter Sunday – the strife is o’er the battle done
The strife is o’er, the battle done;
The victory of life is won;
The song of triumph has begun: Alleluia!
A
gift of the Holy Spirit is courage/fortitude.
[__02__] On
the other hand, one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is … also fear. Of course,
we recall that this is not Hollywood-suspense, PG-13 fear. Rather this is fear – or awe – in the sight
and presence of God.
This
is often summarize as “fear of the Lord.”
God
is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-present …
·
Omnipotent
·
Omnipresent
·
Omniscient
To
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, you and I are indebted for our lives.
Should
we, then, “fear” the Lord in the same way we would fear an enemy, a creditor,
the quarterly announcement of inflation or unemployment?
Should we fear God’s
strength?
[__03__] What is the natural, logical response to fear?
In
1932, a Harvard physician – Walter
Cannon – described the psychological and physical response to fear with these 2
words - FIGHT … or FLIGHT…
In
other words, if I were to experience fear – or trepidation, anxiety – I would
do one of two things – fight (struggle) … or flee (escape… get out of town).
In
this regard, we would often equate fighting with courage or bravery; and,
fleeing, cowardice or the opposite of bravery.
Fighting
would equal fidelity; and, fleeing, unfaithfulness.
[__04__] I
would like to suggest that fear – or fear of the Lord – is a grace, a blessing
which touches us in our consciences.
It is a conscious
fear. our Lord and Savior has given us
examples of the fear of the Lord in his life and teaching. And, in fact,
sometimes, we follow this grace – and virtue of fearing God – by fighting;
sometimes, by fleeing.
This gift of the Holy
Spirit could be present in either case.
For example --
[__05__] That is, fear of the Lord can help us to
–
·
FIGHT
and STRUGGLE for justice, goodness, virtue .... AND… FLEE,
ESCAPE from what is unjust, what is evil, what is not of God.
[__06__] For example, Jesus tells the
parable of the Human Resource-Employee
Evaluation of the 2 sons.
The sons work in the
family business and vineyard. One day,
one son says, I will go to work in the vineyard, but never shows up, never
punches in, zero hours.
The second son, on the
other hand, refuses the idea of working, yet changes his mind, punches in, does
a full day’s work.
Could we not, perhaps,
say that both sons are equally anxious – fearful – about the work to be done?
[__06.1__] What happens to you and to me when we have
a very difficult final exam, the S.A.T., or some project to complete? Or if we
were to have a difficult family crisis to manage or navigate?
Are not tempted to
talk about all the work., but never do anything?
The second son,
meanwhile, is quite honest and candid about his intentions. Meanwhile, he is examining his conscience,
repenting of his ways. And, the 2nd son is staying to fight, to
struggle.
“Fight” is not the
only response to fear. Sometimes we are called to escape, to flee.
[__07__] Consider a different parable, the parable
of the Prodigal Son. In this case, the son leaves the family behind, takes his
inheritance in one lump-sum signing bonus.
He then, lives a life
of luxury and excess, until he has spent everything. Far from home, in another country, he is
poor, alone, hungry.
Then, the Prodigal Son
has a turning point, based at least partly on FEAR…
“How many of my father’s hired workers have
more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger.”
(Luke 15:17)
From this hunger –
fear – come resolution and determination … to escape, to flee the current
situation of harm.
Fear enables the
Prodigal Son to turn away from what is bad and to turn toward the good.
[__08__] When
we listen to the Holy Spirit, we avoid things that are harmful out of fear,
fear that we could harm –
·
Ourselves
·
Our
family
·
Our
community
Would we not avoid
certain substances or behaviors, fearing that we could lose control?
In this regard, “fear”
touches our conscience.
Fear of what is bad
also motivates us to run or return home toward what is good.
[__09__] Fear leads to fight or flight.
In
the short term, we might experience fear, even fear of the Lord as a
restriction, or a confinement
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