There Is Only One Way To Overcome Fear

Fear is such a powerful emotion for humans that when we allow it to take us over, it drives compassion right out of our hearts (St. Thomas Aquinas).

There are many quotes regarding fear, but every saint always offers Christ as the answer. Only Jesus can alleviate suffering and fear. For me, this truth harkens back to trust. It is something that I struggle with because just like you, I live in a world of fearmongering fomented by media outlets, bullies, and even friends and family.

The pandemic just made my fear worse. The problem for me is how to overcome such strong negative pressure in the face of such a contagious virus. I also live in a place where winter storms are frequent and driving in one of them is dangerous. I remember how I would tense up in these snowstorms, fearing I would go off the road. One time I did, and I thought, “This is the end”. Obviously, I survived but I needed to be reminded that we are all carried by Someone much greater than ourselves.

Fear

When I was younger, I used to get bullied by the neighborhood thug. It was never much fun walking home from school. These experiences rooted me in fear, not trust.

As a child, I was also afraid of the dark; I didn’t even know why. It did not help that I had a babysitter who used to tease me all the time because I was so afraid of the dark. That babysitter used to try to make me more afraid. Our imaginations run wild at night, and we allow it. We let our minds race with wrong thinking.

However, at mass,  I enjoyed listening to the reading of how the apostles lamented to Jesus that they were going down with the winds and waves whipping up a fuss. They pleaded with our Lord to save them. Of course, Jesus did. He always saves us though not always in the way we want or expect.

God is in Charge

One afternoon, I was asked to collect two cloistered nuns from the airport and drive them back to their convent. It was about an hour’s drive to the convent. My mind went back and forth as to the best route, time to leave among a host of other objections because I wanted to be sure they were safe and sound. When the sisters got in the car, there was such a peace that came over the whole situation I wondered why I was so worried in the first place. They arrived home safely and as they told me, “God is in charge”.

He only asks of you – abandonment and perfect submission. Nothing displeases Him so much as your uneasiness and despondency. What do you fear? Is He not powerful enough to support you? Why, then, are you so reserved with Him? Let Him act! (St. Margaret Mary).

Tough Times

We have villains all around us. We have people who want to see us suffer and maybe they even enjoy it. It is difficult to watch people suffer and it motivated me to do some research. I could choose any of several saints, but I was watching the NCAA basketball tournament, of all things.

I started to do some reading about Gonzaga University and its namesake. The Lord makes saints anywhere and he chooses each one as he sees fit. The Lord makes saints, we do not. St. Aloysius Gonzaga was surrounded by sadness, brokenness, and misfortune in his time. Despite coming from wealth, he chose a greater path.  He had expectations thrust upon him from family. Sounds like a common theme for saints but he chose to follow Something and Someone much greater.

St. Aloysius

St. Aloysius was teaching catechism at an early age; at the same age, I was still trying to overcome my silly fears. His father and his father’s peers tried to persuade him to follow the path chosen for him through his birthright but St. Aloysius chose the path of his Father in heaven. Imagine having St. Robert Bellarmine as a spiritual director as St. Aloysius had. I would leap at the chance. What do we have to fear? Nothing at all.

Despite the plague of 1591, Aloysius continued to be strong in the face of adversity. We have just lived through a pandemic and some terrible events these past 16 months but do we and can we remain steadfast in our faith and love Christ? For me, this is a struggle.

I am a piece of twisted iron. I entered the religious life to get twisted straight (St. Aloysius).

This great saint died at a young age and it makes me wonder how I can follow such great examples. There are challenges all around us for sure but I try to turn my gaze upward to the One who strengthens me. Maybe we are more like the fearful apostles than we think. I know I am. They had Christ right in front of them and they still were unsure.

Confidence

For me, giving my trust over to Christ is a constant challenge. When I met the sisters years ago in the Carmelite Monastery, I see in their faces such conviction. I have read about so many saints and I have read about their adversity in the face of strife. It was no easy task.

An interesting feast day is June 30^th, the Feast of the Roman Martyrs. What they endured was overwhelming. Even today when I see the Church under siege at every turn, it does pain me very much. I had read the book, Days of the Martyrs, by C. Bernard Ruffin. It made me think about such great lives. I began reading many articles about saints and I came across a quote from a saint I do not know so much about.

The suffering of adversity does not degrade you but exalts you. Human tribulation teaches you; it does not destroy you. The more we are afflicted in this world, the greater is our assurance for the next. The more we sorrow in the present, the greater will be our joy in the future (St. Isidore of Seville).

Conclusion

It is important to read about the lives of such great examples for us. Where I live, we do not have so many relics of saints or tombs of Popes that I saw in the Vatican. However, it does not mean that understanding their lives is unattainable. Yes, we need to work hard but we have the Catholic Church and its one true foundation – Christ. Every month, some beautiful feast days arrive in the church calendar. For my part, I want to learn more about how each one faced adversity. Maybe then, I could be less fearful.