“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine” (Isaiah 43:1).
We belong to God who has called each of us by name. God knows us inside and out and loves us without reservation. We need to recall this truth whenever fears and worries threaten to upend our peace and destroy our tranquility.
Oftentimes life can seem very scary: news headlines that scream of danger and violence around every corner, family calamities and sorrows, alarming test results, children on the wrong path, elderly parents needing special care. We can all fill in the blank with whatever it is that keeps us on edge and afraid.
All of these fears are real and can be unsettling, but we are not left alone to live in dread of them. God’s word says that a person who loves God and treats others with compassion and justice will be richly blessed. Fear will have no power over that one’s life. “An evil report he shall not fear; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is tranquil, without fear, till at last he looks down on his foes” (Ps 112:7-8).
When the disciples saw Jesus walking toward them on the sea, they were terrified. Jesus told them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Mt 14:27). When fears and worries assail us and we turn to Jesus in prayer, we too may sense Jesus saying to our terrified hearts: Be brave. Trust me. I’m here with you. Hold my hand. It will be OK. No need to fear. You are not alone. I will be with you through it all.
Mary Magdalene experienced Jesus’ reassuring words at the empty tomb. She was so distraught and afraid that someone had taken the body of Jesus away and she didn’t know where to find Him. Her fears were calmed and her weeping stilled when Jesus called her by her name: “Mary!” (Jn 20:16).
We too are calmed and comforted when we turn to Jesus in prayer, and our troubled hearts seem to sense Jesus calling each of us by name. Trusting God, who knows us and loves us and calls us by name, is a sure, fear-fighting remedy. Jesus, we trust in you!
Patricia J. Hennessy is a member of St. Gabriel Church in Charlotte.