We Do Not Need to Live in Fear If We Trust in God.

We sometimes worry too much about the future. This is especially true in our modern age of near-instant communication. Hostage situation in Utah? We know it within minutes. Terrorist kidnapping in the Middle East? We get play-by-play updates. Every time we turn on the news (or check the apps on our phones), we are given warnings about climate change, school shootings, political deceptions, skirmishes that can lead to war, outbreaks of E. coli...the list goes on and on. Is it any wonder why we might live in fear?

There are those among us who act as fearmongers, spreading doom and gloom and insisting that the end is near. They use the tragedies of the world around us to warn that judgment day is at hand. Is that one more thing we should add to our growing list of fears? Jesus says no.

In today’s gospel, Jesus reminds us that catastrophes, famines, and other calamities are part of our earthly existence. They have been happening for thousands of years and will continue to do so. Jesus tells us not to be afraid—the faithful of God will be saved. There may be some rotten days ahead in our earthly lives, but this life is not our final destination. We are journeying toward eternal salvation and everlasting life. So, if we spend this life in service to God and focused on His will our future will take care of itself.