One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to him in a vision,
“Do not be afraid.
Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you.
No one will attack and harm you,
for I have many people in this city.”
He settled there for a year and a half
and taught the word of God among them. (Acts 18:9-11)
We often spend our lives in fear.
And, living in this world, for good reason.
It’s a scary place, after all.
However, we need to remember that nothing is going to happen to us that God cannot turn to good.
The Apostles learned that lesson.
They were fearful to go out among a people that was hostile to the faith and to their message. Yet, Jesus challenged them to do just that. To go out and proclaim the Good News.
Jesus promised that He would protect them, just as he promised to Paul in today’s first reading.
Even when it looked hopeless, Jesus gave His followers a final message: they can destroy your life but they cannot destroy your soul.
That is the message that we are called to hear today.
Our world still does not want to hear about Jesus. We might face confrontation, anger, and even danger.
We might face death.
God will protect our soul. He will deliver us. He will bring us home to Himself.
Go where the Lord sends you. Be confident and unafraid.
FAITH ACTION: Pray the “Prayer of Trust” from Thomas Merton
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that
I think that I am following your will does not
mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am
doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from
that desire.
And I know that if I do this you will lead me
by the right road though I may know nothing
about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though I may
seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and
you will never leave me to face my perils alone.