do not be afraid

Life can seem so uncertain at times. The future is not completely ours to control. We do have the power of choice within reach, but there are always other factors outside of our control-health, politics, weather, finances, other people's decisions-that come into play. And so, it is normal to experience fear and anxiety. Jesus tells us, however, in this Sunday's gospel (Matthew 10:24-39), that we need not fear.
  
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
 
"Easier said than done!" you may respond. In telling us this, it is important to know that Jesus makes a promise. He is not simply wishing us well. He is not simply reminding that God, from on high, is thinking kind thoughts about us. He promises faithful presence. He promises us that we are held in God's embrace, that Providence precedes us on the journey.   Let us also not forget that Providence involves us in one another's lives. The Christian life, although eminently personal, is also communal. We form the Body of Christ. We are not alone. God cares for us through one another. The packaging of the care may not correspond to what we had imagined! C'est la vie divine. God's mysterious ways... Let us be grateful for the gift of sisters and brothers with whom we are Church.
  
Yours in Christ,
  
Fr. Dominique
Rector