Do not be afraid Fr. Anthony Le
Fear is an emotional, spiritual response to whatever we consider to be dangerous. things that threaten to take away our peace, sense of security, perhaps also stability. While we could have rational fear or we could have irrational fear.
Like my sister, she has a great fear of darkness. She couldn't sleep without the light on. Maybe some of you have fear of snakes, or maybe spiders, maybe fear of your pastor as well. or maybe pastors or deacons have a fear of their parasites. They never know fear could be a very strong driving force that pushes us to act in a good or in a bad way.
Let's just use some examples in the bible that we have today. Isaiah being called to be a prophet, a prophet to all nations, to God's people. Specifically, what was his excuse: I am a man of unclean life, I belong to an unclean nation, In a way. Actually, he's saying I cursed too much, I’ve sin too much with my tongue, I probably committed seven sins every day - even the church men commit seven sins every day. His fear was: well, I'm sinful and you are too great, and this mission is so big, so important, that I excuse myself. Fear led him to say no. Something similar happened to Peter. Peter looked at Jesus, after Jesus asked him to do something that Jesus was not an expert in. He was a carpenter by trade, by origin he was not a fisherman but he asked a very experienced fisherman to cast the net after they already worked all night long and couldn't get anything. Peter witnessed a great miracle, a great showcase, a power. He was fearful and he bended on his knees, staying away. I'm a sinful man.
Now, my dear brothers and sisters, when we could talk about it, we could use our mind and brain to articulate and think about fear. psychologically, emotionally. How it impacts our body and our mind, our soul, and all that. In the bible when we talk about fear, specifically we talk about fear of God, as a beginning of wisdom - both the first. The gospel portrayed this fear of the lord so magnificently.
Fear of the lord is not the same fear that we are facing danger. It’s not the same kind of fear that we fear a spider, or thunder, or light, or darkness, or Elevator, or your pastor. This kind of fear is a sense of awesomeness, a sense of wonder, the sound of that you are facing something so great, so wonderful, that you become fearful. Not because it's dangerous, but because it's too beautiful, too wonderful, that you have to really look at that, and say trampling. And that's what Isaiah and Peter witnessed the power and the wonder of God, and they couldn't believe what they heard with their own ears. One has been asked to be the prophet. You know who the prophet is. On God's behalf proclaiming truth, and correct people, and leading those living according to the way God wants. That is the greatest honor. It's not fear that we're talking about. Flight or fight sort of response to danger. The same way with Peter, that fear led him to an acknowledgement of how sinful he is. This actually is a positive thing. Man facing God has to have that sense of humility. I’m small compared to you lord, I am submitting myself before you, I’m actually letting you know I may ruin your plan; I am sinful and weak. If you chose me, you might have to put up with me.
That's exactly what Peter said: I'm a sinful man lord. I am full of it, in my thoughts, and my behaviors. I’m a fisherman, don't you know I drank a lot, and yet why did you choose me? Let me excuse myself. Stay away from me, because I am a sinful Man. How many times have we said exactly the same thing to our lord? Lame kind of excuse - lord of who I am, that you call. It’s not the question we should ask. We should ask lord: what I should do to really fulfill the mission you entrusted to me. At this point, our lord corrected Peter, and our lord corrected Isaiah. Don’t worry you're not going to speak with those unclean lips; I’m going to put my words in your mouth. You're going to speak what I wanted. Amazing, isn't it? The same way with peter. You are no longer Peter saying what you want. You no longer catch what you think you want. I'm going to give you a new title - fisherman. You’re going to catch men and women on my behalf. You’re going to gather my people, you're going to proclaim God's word and his kingdom, not what you think. Oh, isn't that amazing? Isn’t that amazing? It’s not so much about Peter anymore, it's about now. The mission that Christ entrusted to him. It is not so much about Isaiah and his sins. It is about the mission entrusted to him, and God will qualify those who deem themselves disqualified. God sanctifies those who consider themselves sinners.
Asked Paul, in second reading today, what did he say? He recalled the entire experience of being converted. But notice one sentence in that reading that he said: "I taught you that I preached what I have received". Paul did not come up with anything new. He has been passed along the message; he has been passed along a mission. It was not the mission of Saint Paul. It was the mission of God entrusted to 12 apostles, and those 12 apostles passed it along to Paul. Paul learned directly from God and those brothers of Jesus. Amazing, isn't it? He admitted that it's not so much about him but about God. Almighty and his grace make it possible for him to be an apostle. Even though he thought he was unqualified.
So, my dear brothers and sisters, do you have fear? Do we have fear? Of course, we should have. But the kind of fear that our lord is asking of us today, is not kind of chicken kind of fear, that we run around afraid of being persecuted, afraid of the world chastising us, afraid the world is attacking us. That is not a kind of fear. The fear that our lord is asking of us is the fear of the lord, the fear when we face the wonderful God, the fear that we experience a great sense of awesomeness, the fear that we acknowledge ourselves, that we are falling short, the kind of fear that comes with humility. Therefore, when we listen to God, exactly like Peter, he doubted, he was afraid, yet our lord said be not afraid Peter. Be not afraid. He corrected him, he assured him, and he blessed him. He entrusted him with something far greater. And it's the end result of that obedience, of that fear, of that kind of response. Oh, he couldn't really haul the net above the water. Too much, too amazing catches. It's just too amazing. So, my dear brothers and sisters, if we are worrying about the state of the church, let it be. But if we commit ourselves to the mission of the church, to the calling of our lord, really allows the good lord to lead us, not we lead him. And show him what he should do for us. Then I dare to say: we won't be disappointed. Going to be amazing, going to be amazing, not only in our lives, but also the life of the church as a whole. That's why I dare to say, that's why we dare to say, that's why we dare to believe, that's why we dare to gather. We ask our lord to bless us all, and instill in our heart that awesome fear of God – the beginning of wisdom
不要害怕
害怕是一种情感和心灵上的反应。当我们内心的平安或身体的安全受到威胁时，我们会感觉害怕。我们有理性的害怕，也有非理性的害怕。我的姐姐非常怕黑，如果不开灯，她就无法入睡。有些人怕蛇，也有些人怕蜘蛛。有些人怕神父。也有些神父或执事怕教友。害怕可能成为一个强大的驱动力，使我们行善或行恶。
在今天的读经ㄧ中，天主召叫了依撒意亚，要他成为以色列－天主子民的先知。依撒意亚怎么回答呢？他说:“我是一个唇舌不洁的人，生活在一个唇舌不洁的国家”。他的意思是：我和这个国家的人，经常口出恶言，说了许多诅咒的话。我，甚至整个教会的人，可能每天都犯了七罪宗。他担心：“主啊，你太伟大了，而我是一个如此不堪的罪人。这个使命又是如此的重大，请你还是找别人吧”。害怕失败，使他拒绝了天主的使命。
同样的反应也发生在伯多禄身上。伯多禄是一位经验丰富的渔夫，耶稣却是一名木匠。伯多禄已经捕了一夜的鱼，什么也没抓到。木匠耶稣却指导渔夫伯多禄再撒一次网。伯多禄顺从了。这次撒网的渔获非常的大，网到的鱼几乎沉没2 艘船。伯多禄目击了一个伟大的奇迹，非常惶恐，就弯膝下跪说：“请离开我吧！因为我是个罪人”。亲爱的兄弟姐妹们，在这里我们可以看出来恐惧在心理上、情感上，如何影响我们的思想和行动。
但是在圣经中，我们讲的不是一般的害怕或恐惧，而是敬畏。特别是对天主的敬畏。圣经告诉我们：对天主的敬畏是智慧的开端。 对蜘蛛、雷声、黑暗，或者对神父的害怕，和对天主的敬畏是不一样的。对主的敬畏有一种震撼、惊愕和谦卑的感觉。主的显现是如此的伟大，如此的美妙，使你我有害怕的感觉。不是因为危险，而是因为太美妙，太神奇，太伟大了。当你感觉主的临在，你的全身、全灵都会颤动。依撒意亚和伯多禄就是亲身体会，并听到了天主。
依撒意亚被召为先知。先知代表天主来传扬真理，纠正人，带领人，去按照天主的方式生活。那是极大的荣誉。依撒意亚怕了。但是我们谈的敬畏。不是那种能以逃避或对抗，来克服的的害怕。 依撒意亚与伯多禄一样，感受到主的临在使他产生敬畏。这种敬畏使他承认自己的罪。实际上这是一件有益的事。面对天主，我们必须有这种谦卑感。我比你小，我在你面前屈服，我告明我可能会破坏你的计划，因为我是有罪和软弱的。如果你选择了我，你必须忍受我。 这正是伯多禄说的：我是一个有罪的人。我的思想和行为，都充满了罪恶。我这个渔夫，还常喝酒，你为什么选择我？请让我道歉离开吧！离我远点，因为我是一个罪人。
让我们想一想我们自己的行径，我们是不是多次对我们的主说同样的话呢？这真是一个蹩脚的借口 - 你怎么会找上我？不，这不是我们该问的事。我们该问：我应该怎么做才能完成您托付给我的使命？ 在这一点上，我们的主帮助了依撒意亚。他说：你别担心，你不会用那不洁的嘴唇说话；我要把我的话放在你的嘴里。你会说出我想说的话。这不是很奇妙吗？
我们的主也帮助了伯多禄。你不再说你是渔夫。你不再捕鱼了。我要给你一个新的头衔-捕人的渔夫。你要为我去捕捉男人和女人，聚集我的子民，宣讲天主的话语和他的国度。天主是不是很奇妙吗？ 从伯多禄与依撒意亚的例子，让我们回到现在，来看基督和他托付给伯多禄与依撒意亚的使命。我们可以很明确的知道，天主会让那些不合格的人合格，让那些有罪的人成圣。
在今天的读经二中，保禄陈述了他皈依的经历。他说：“我教导你，我宣讲了我所领受的”。保禄说他没有什么新的教导。他只是传递了他所领受的教导和他的使命。这个使命是天主托付给 12 位宗徒的，宗徒们将它传递给保禄。保禄说这个使命不是关于他，而是关于天主。尽管他认为自己不合格，全能者给他恩宠使他成为宗徒。 亲爱的兄弟姐妹们，你们害怕吗？我们会有恐惧吗？当然，有时候会有的。但是今天我们讲的是对天主的敬畏，不是那种可以逃避或对抗的恐惧。我们怕被迫害，怕世界惩罚我们，怕世界攻击我们。这不是我们所讲的的敬畏，当我们面对奇妙的天主时的一种伟大的敬畏。我们承认我们敬畏主，面对我们失败的敬畏，我们谦卑下来的敬畏。就像伯多禄一样，怀疑、害怕。但主说不要害怕。他帮助他，向他保证，祝福他。他托付他伟大的使命。这是服从、敬畏、谦卑的果实。他无法把所有的鱼拖到船上来，实在是太多了，太惊人了。天主实在是太奇妙了。
亲爱的兄弟姐妹们，如果我们担心教会的状况，那是当然的。让我们委身于教会的使命，接受主的呼召，让善良的主带领我们。我敢说：我们不会失望的。祂的果实会是很奇妙的，非常的奇妙，不仅在我们，而且在整个教会的生活中，都会是很奇妙的。所以我敢说，我们敢说，敢相信，敢聚集在一起，祈求我们的主，保佑我们所有的人，在我们心中充满对天主的敬畏—智慧的开端。