As a child—I
think it was because I had such a vivid imagination—I seemed to be
afraid of almost everything. Maybe it’s because of that, but
today I hate to see anyone afraid. Sadly at the moment there
are many people living in fear, especially fear of not being able to
cope or provide for their families because of all that is happening.
It is very understandable and yet it is also one thing that God does
not want for us. 365 times in the Scriptures are the words ‘Do
not be afraid.’ God wants us to be at peace.
2000 years
ago on Holy Thursday night, out of fear the Apostles all abandoned
Jesus, even though they believed He was the Son of God. Judas
betrayed him for money. Peter tried to be faithful, but ended
up publicly swearing that he never knew Jesus. They all
betrayed him. Now after Easter they are locked in the upper
room in fear. They were afraid first because they knew they
could face the same punishment as Jesus since they were his
associates. Perhaps they were also afraid of what God might do
to them because they had betrayed Jesus, the Son of God. It is
a very human response to be afraid of God when we feel we have
betrayed him in some way either by the way we live, or by something
we have done.
Then
something beautiful happens. Jesus is suddenly standing with
them in the room and he says: ‘Peace be with you.’ The
first thing he does is take away their fear. There are no words
of condemnation for having abandoned him a few days before.
There are no words of judgement on how they were unable to be
faithful. Instead: ‘Peace be with you.’ ‘It’s
alright.’
I don’t
know about you, but I can certainly say that I have often felt that I
have betrayed the Lord by my actions. Sometimes I even wish I
was not a priest, because then I would not have to deal with what is
sacred. It is difficult to have to deal with the sacred when
you are aware that you are a sinner. It is easier to run and
hide. Think of Peter when Jesus worked the miracle of the great
catch of fish. Peter’s reaction was, ‘Leave me Lord I am a
sinful man.’ Yet when Jesus appears to the Apostles, the
first thing He does is to put them at ease. ‘Peace be with
you.’
Each time in
the mass when we recall this wish of Jesus to give us his peace—which
is not just a universal prayer for peace, but a reminder of what
Jesus said to his followers—He is saying, ‘do not be afraid,
because I am not here to condemn you, even if you deserve to be
condemned. Peace be with you.’ God only wants us to
come closer to him and to know that He is not going to act as we do
to each other, with frowns or giving out. He knows what we are
like. He knows that we betray him, but He still tells us to be
at peace. I for one, find that very comforting.
Think too of
Thomas who in his grief at the death of Jesus would not believe the
words of others that Jesus was alive. When you are grieving you
don’t want someone else to give you false hope, because it is too
painful. And then when Jesus did appear to him He was so kind
in helping him to believe. No giving out, no words of
recrimination, but instead Jesus invites Thomas to put his finger
into his wounds, so that he would believe. No condemnation for
not being good enough; only encouragement.
In this
gospel Jesus also gives his disciples the authority to forgive sins
in his name. Why? So that we need not ever be living in fear of
God. Through the priesthood we have the concrete reassurance of
God’s mercy and forgiveness, so that we can move on when we have
done wrong; so that we need not live in fear. No condemnation,
only encouragement and love.
‘Peace
be with you. It is I, do not be afraid.’
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