{"id":10745,"date":"2024-04-04T00:00:54","date_gmt":"2024-04-04T04:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/?p=10745"},"modified":"2024-04-04T12:36:19","modified_gmt":"2024-04-04T16:36:19","slug":"five-means-to-be-not-afraid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/five-means-to-be-not-afraid\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Means to “Be Not Afraid”","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"
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ON THE MEMORIAL OF ST. JOHN PAUL II<\/p>\n

Do not be afraid! Open wide the doors to Christ”<\/strong>!
\n\u2014ST. JOHN PAUL II, Homily, Saint Peter’s Square
\nOctober 22, 1978, No. 5<\/span><\/p>\n

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First published June 18th, 2019.<\/em><\/p>\n

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YES<\/strong>, I know John Paul II often said, “Be not afraid!” But as we see the Storm winds increasing around us and waves beginning to overwhelm the Barque of Peter<\/a>… as freedom of religion and speech<\/a> become fragile and the possibility of an antichrist<\/a> remains on the horizon… as Marian prophecies<\/a> are being fulfilled in real-time and the warnings of the popes<\/a> go unheeded… as your own personal troubles, divisions and sorrows mount around you… how can one possibly not<\/em> be afraid?”<\/p>\n

The answer is that the holy courage<\/em> St. John Paul II calls us to is not an emotion, but a divine<\/em> gift. It is the fruit of faith. If you are afraid, it may be precisely because you have not yet fully opened<\/em> the gift. So here are five ways for you to begin walking in holy courage in our times.<\/p>\n

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I. LET JESUS IN!<\/p>\n

The key to the words of John Paul II to “not be afraid” lies in the second part of his invitation: “Open wide the doors to Christ!”<\/em><\/p>\n

The Apostle John wrote:<\/p>\n

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God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him… There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear… (1 John 4:18)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

God is<\/em> the love that drives out all fear. The more I open my heart to Him in childlike faith and “remain in love”, the more He enters, driving out the darkness of fear and giving me a holy confidence, boldness, and peace. [1]<\/sup><\/a>cf. Acts 4:29-31<\/span><\/span>