Do Not Be Afraid

by Fr. Jason Laguerta

I grew up in the islands so my childhood memories were always connected with boat rides and, of course, the river and the sea.  In one way or another, I know of the feeling that when you are in the middle of the sea, experiencing big waves and strong winds, it is really scary.  That even if you are the best swimmer, or a good fisherman, if you are challenged by nature, you will really feel greatly and totally helpless before the power of nature.

In the early years of my priesthood, I would often visit a classmate assigned in Palawan and help celebrate masses on the islands during the summer.  The local people seemed unperturbed by towering waves that would normally frighten others, but whenever I had to travel for one or two hours in a small boat across rough seas, I found myself praying several rosaries.  Because when you truly sense that your life may be in danger, fear naturally comes, and that is something many of us can readily understand.

For there are some instances in our life that we can be really afraid, like Elijah in the First Reading.  Why was Elijah hiding in the cave?  Because Jezebel, the queen, was after him, for he defeated Baal’s prophets.  And God had to invite him to come out of the cave: “Elijah. God is passing by, come out; do not hide and do not be afraid.”

This is also how the disciples felt in our Gospel.  Mind you, these were fishermen, Peter, Andrew, James, John, Philip, and the other disciples. They were men of the sea, experts in navigating winds and waves, yet the situation in the Gospel was not really about how strong the typhoon was or how high the tide had risen; it was about fear overcoming them.  In real life, it is often not the storm itself that defeats us, but the fear and thoughts we allow to take hold of our minds and hearts as we face the storms of life.

Because at some point in our life, we will indeed go through storms, we will be challenged, and we will face some big waves of trials, for no one is exempted from that.  No one is spared from storms and typhoons in our life, be it literally in the sea or, metaphorically, in our life, we struggle; we will have to face this crisis in our life and in our family.  But the question really is: are you fearing or doubting or is your faith sturdy and strong?  Will you allow fear to overcome you, or do these challenges deepen your faith and strengthen your trust in God? 

Are you living in the house of fear or have you moved into the house of faith, which is what Jesus was looking for His disciples, especially with Peter.  In fact, Peter asked Jesus that if it was really Jesus, have him come to the water too.  And he did; he was able to walk for some few seconds, but when he lost sight of Jesus and focused instead on how strong the wind was and how high the waves were, he began to sink because fear has taken over his consciousness, his heart and his mind.  

Thus, many times in our lives, it is really not a mere question of how problematic our situation is or how severe our trial is or how difficult our situation is.  The question really is: how strong is your faith?  How courageous are you in the face of such adversity in your life?  Or are you easily overcome with fear and doubts?  That in any sign of danger or worry or anxiety, any sign of failure or defeat, do you easily get disheartened and you give up?  Like Elijah, do you just want to hide in your cave?  Or like Peter, will you just sit and drown in your sorrow or in your anxiety because you are afraid, and you lose sight of the fact that Jesus is taking you by the hand?

On the sea of challenges, Jesus stretches out His hand, inviting us to take hold of it so that we will not drown.  Yet so often, instead of seeing that outstretched hand, we only see the ghost and allow fear to take over.  We fail to notice the ‘life vest’ He places before us because fear paralyzes us, blinds us to His presence, and convinces us that we are alone.  More often than not, it is not the storm itself that drowns us, but the fear that overwhelms our hearts and keeps us from reaching for the hand that has been extended to us all along.

So, what are our fears?  Are you afraid because the laboratory results do not look good, or because the diagnosis and prognosis are uncertain, and you wonder, “What if I die soon?  What will happen to my children while they are still young?”  Others are weighed down by debt and do not know how their families will ever repay what they owe.  When fear takes over, it steals our joy and hope, leaving us stressed, burdened, and easily angered because we cannot see a way to make ends meet.

Students also face their own storms.  Some scholars desperately want to continue their education but have nowhere to transfer and no resources to support their studies.  Even children experience stress, though they often cannot express it in words.  Their struggles may appear through distraction, lack of focus, constant crying, or repeated tantrums.  As parents and guardians, we must pay attention to these signs, because when children can no longer express what they are feeling or share their problems, they may already be carrying heavy fears and anxieties deep within their hearts.

Thus, from children to adolescent to adulthood, we all have to go through our trials, storms and adversities that stress us, and these are all normal and expected, but we also should not blame God or ask Him, “Why me?!”  Instead, we ask the Lord: “Are You still with me?  Can You put up with me?  Can You be patient with me?”  And, surely, the Lord, again and again, will assure us to take courage and do not be afraid, for God is with us always; God is with us in the boat.  God can walk on water; God can calm the storm, and God can command the typhoon, so do not be afraid.  Do not even weep and hide in the cave!  Come out, for the Lord is passing by.

And once again, let me share a story as a beautiful example of courage, faith, and trust in the Lord amid uncertainty.  As I am a big fan of Alex Eala, and I have mentioned her many times before, I watched her match again yesterday against a very strong American tennis player, Katie, who constantly returned every shot and seemed even better at every turn. To make things worse, Alex twisted her ankle in the second set, and I honestly thought it would be difficult for her to continue, yet she persevered.  Despite the injury, the powerful serves, and the relentless pressure from her opponent, she kept chasing every ball and refused to give up.  By grit and by heart, by courage, and by the never say die attitude and spirit, she won the game

I admire this young lady because unlike with basketball or volleyball where there are 5-6 players helping each other, in tennis, there is only that lone player to do everything to win!  While she may not be a perfect model of courage, she gives us a powerful example of what courage truly means: not the absence of problems or strong opponents, but the determination to keep going, point by point, no matter how difficult the situation.  For courage is not about guaranteeing success; it is about refusing to quit and continuing to fight even when the odds are against you.

However, it seems, though, that courage is what people today are missing in their life.  For people of all ages, from the young to the old, what we need is not pride but courage.  Courage means knowing that the storm is strong, yet trusting that you will not face it alone because God is with you and will take your hand when you reach out to Him.  Like Peter in the Gospel, when we feel as though we are sinking, we need only pray, “Lord, save me.  Lord, help me,” confident that with Him we can overcome every storm, every towering wave, and every strong wind, for He continually tells us, “Do not be afraid.”

Transcribed by Agnes Riel