“Be Not Afraid”

 By Mary Jeppson

      The bible study here at St. Therese is currently studying The Gospel According to Matthew. We are just completing the chapters in which Jesus has established the Church. What amazes me most is when Jesus went out among the people and called to certain men “Come Follow Me” and they dropped whatever they were doing and followed him. They left their families and their homes and went with Jesus who had no place to lay his head. I found myself wondering if I could walk away as the apostles chose to do or if I would be more like Jonah who when called, rose to flee from the presence of the Lord, afraid to do what God was asking him to do.  God was persistent in His call for Jonah to go to Nineveh and eventually, Jonah did go to Nineveh to do God’s will.

      There are many people who we read and hear about today who have given their lives to the Lord.  At times they were afraid but their faith and trust in God lead them through the difficult times and gave them inspiration to do God’s work. One such person is Mother Angelica, founder of the Eternal Word Television Network and according to Time magazine, “the most influential Catholic woman in America”.

      In 1981, Mother Angelica with her entrepreneurial instincts and two hundred dollars launched what would become the world’s largest religious media empire in the garage of a Birmingham, Alabama, monastery. You can read her story in a book by Raymond Arroyo – Mother Angelica – The Remarkable Story of a Nun, Her Nerve, and a Network of Miracles.

      When Raymond Arroyo was compiling this book he was overwhelmed with over 6,000 pages of notes and several taped conversations with Mother Angelica. He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to write the book. When he shared his thoughts with Mother Angelica she told him in her own way “If you want to do something for the Lord, DO IT!  Even if you’re shaking in your boots and scared to death…take the first step.  The grace comes with that first step and you get the grace as you step. Being afraid is not a problem.  Doing nothing when you’re afraid…that’s the problem.” (EWTN Live)

      We all are not called to build a television empire but we may be called to serve God in ordinary ways.  We must listen to what He wants us to do and then take that first step. We can serve our parish family, study our Catholic faith, read the bible, pray, serve our communities and be present in all that we do for the glory of God.  For Jesus said “Be not afraid, Come Follow Me”.  Ask yourself, is it time to take that first step?