MARY, OUR MOTHER: From The Friars eLetter: Fear God Alone

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

From The Friars eLetter: Fear God Alone

Fear God Alone

Our world today is often filled with frenetic activity and bad news (at least in the secular media), and many people whom we love bear great burdens of fear and anxiety of all kinds. What does the Lord say to us about fear?

● “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)
● “ ‘And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul…you are of more value than many sparrows.’ ” (Matthew 10:28a & 31b)
● “ ‘…do not be anxious about your life…’ ” (Matthew 6:25a)
● “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom…” (Proverbs 9:10a)

What is fear? Fear in itself is a natural human emotion that ‘activates’ in response to a real or imagined threat. It is morally neutral. However, how you or I deal with fear is important in making good decisions.

If you are like me, you often wonder whether some of the fears we have are legitimate or not - are we afraid of a harmless illusion, or a genuine threat? Of course, we should be seriously concerned about someone driving while texting (May this not be you!! If you saw all the flowered memorials of the deceased which I pass by during my commutes, I pray that you would never do it again…); but should we really fear what other people think about us?

Jesus showed us that we need to trust in God: no matter what. God is greater than any danger or problem we could ever have – ever!

Christ already conquered our greatest enemies by His Holy Sacrifice of Love on the Cross: sin, suffering, death, the devil, and Hell. What do we have to worry about? Absolutely nothing! “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” (Romans 8:35)

Our only real fear should be a holy fear of God – a humble sense of awe, wonder and reverence that leads us to love Him and obey His holy will, avoiding sin at any cost. Let us pray to the Holy Spirit to fill us with this Gift of Holy Fear and all His Sevenfold Gifts. Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us fear God alone.

+Br. Philip Maria Allen, CFR
St. Felix Friary
Yonkers, NY, USA
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Quotes from 'The Glories of Mary':

‘I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head.’

(Gen. 3:15)

“Since the devil is the head of original sin, this head it was that Mary crushed: for sin never had any entry into the soul of this Blessed Virgin, which was consequently free from all stain.”

Saint Augustine

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PSALM 71 SPEAKS TO MY HEART

Forsake Me Not When My Strength Is Spent

In you, O Lord, do I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame!
In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me, and save me!

Be to me a rock of refuge,
to which I may continually come;
you have given the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.

Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.
For you, O Lord, are my hope,
my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;
you are he who took me from my mother's womb.
My praise is continually of you.

I have been as a portent to many,
but you are my strong refuge.
My mouth is filled with your praise,
and with your glory all the day.
Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
forsake me not when my strength is spent.

For my enemies speak concerning me;
those who watch for my life consult together
and say, “God has forsaken him;
pursue and seize him,
for there is none to deliver him.”

O God, be not far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me!
May my accusers be put to shame and consumed;
with scorn and disgrace may they be covered
who seek my hurt.

But I will hope continually
and will praise you yet more and more.
My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
of your deeds of salvation all the day,
for their number is past my knowledge.

With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come;
I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone.

O God, from my youth you have taught me,
and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

So even to old age and gray hairs,
O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to another generation,
your power to all those to come.
Your righteousness, O God,
reaches the high heavens.
You who have done great things,
O God, who is like you?

You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
you will bring me up again.
You will increase my greatness
and comfort me again.

I will also praise you with the harp
for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
O Holy One of Israel.
My lips will shout for joy,
when I sing praises to you;
my soul also, which you have redeemed.

And my tongue will talk of your righteous help all the day long,
for they have been put to shame and disappointed
who sought to do me hurt.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

From The Friars eLetter: Fear God Alone

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