St. Matthew Catholic Church

Weekly Message     

Fear Kills, Faith Fills

Dear brothers and sisters,   

      Fear is one of the most powerful emotions that comes in many forms: fear of illness, of losing a loved one, of failure, of rejection, of the future, of growing old, or fear of not being enough. Although we live in an age of incredible technology, comfort, and medical advances, many people are still anxious. We lock our doors, protect our savings, worry about our children, etc. Faith has an answer for all these fears.

     Faith does not mean that there will be no storms. Faith means trusting that God is with us in the storms. Elijah courageously defended the worship of true God; yet, he fled in fear; hid himself in a cave. God spoke to him quietly giving and filling him with assurance.

     Faith means trusting that Christ is with us in the storms. The disciples were terrified with the storm and the ghost. Jesus gives them courage; and Peter walks on the water towards Jesus filled with power; but when he stopped looking at Jesus, he started to sink. When we focus only on storms our fear grows like in Elijah and Peter.

     A tightrope walker crossed a raging waterfall pushing a wheelbarrow. After several successful crossings, he asked the cheering crowd, "Do you believe I can do it again?" Everyone shouted, "Yes!" Then he asked, "Who will get into the wheelbarrow?" Suddenly, the crowd became silent. Faith is not simply believing that Jesus can save. Faith is entrusting ourselves to Him.

     Faith is not only trusting God for ourselves. It is refusing to give up on those we love. Many parents quietly carry this burden. Spouses pray for one another. Every one of us has a storm. Some storms are visible; others are hidden behind smiles. Replace fear with faith.

  Prayerful blessings!

  Msgr. Xavier Pappu                     

Homily 2026:May 23, June 20, June 27, July 4, July 11, July 18, July 25, Aug 01

                     Insert:  Giving to God/Dar a Dios.pdf

                                    Please pray for vocations to the priesthood,
                              for the Priests of our Diocese; & for our Bishop.

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