“Get up and do not be afraid.” (Mt 17:7).
Peter, James and John went up a mountain with Jesus and saw there the glory of their Master. They heard the voice of the Father who acknowledged him as his Son. This was an extraordinary experience; being face to face with God who allowed his creatures to know him in all his splendor. Filled with fear, the disciples fell to the ground, but Jesus touched them and said:
“Get up and do not be afraid.”
The verb for “get up” is the same one often used in the Gospel with reference to the Resurrection, just as “do not be afraid” are the first words the Risen Lord addressed to the women at the empty tomb. Therefore, these words of Jesus, so strong and clear, were an invitation to enter into a new life, made possible for the disciples by the touch of his hand. We too are sometimes held back by our fears and weighed down by life’s trials and by situations that seem to have no solution. When this happens, we cannot rely solely on our own strength to rediscover the enthusiasm and momentum of witnessing to our faith. Instead, we need the grace of God who always shows us the way.
“Who does not go through trials in life? They take the form of failure, poverty, depression, doubt or temptation (...) The world around us can also be frightening, with its materialistic and individualistic values, wars, violence, and injustice. Faced with these situations, doubt can creep in and we may ask ourselves, ‘Where is God’s love?’ (...) And yet Jesus has truly entered into every painful situation and has taken all our trials on himself. (...) He is Love, and love drives out all fear. Every time we are assailed by fear or suffocated by pain, we can recognize the truth that Jesus is present. (...) Let’s allow him to enter our lives. Let’s go on living whatever God wants from us, focusing on loving our neighbor. We will discover that Jesus is always Love. We will be able to tell him, just as the disciples did, ‘Truly you are the Son of God.’
“Get up and do not be afraid.”
Those who have experienced God in their lives have been captivated by his presence, touched and healed by his Word. It is often the witness of a Christian community that accompanies us in this divine adventure and gives us the courage to get up again, to step outside ourselves and resume our journey with Jesus and with all those who share our faith in Christ.
Let’s read the testimony of a young woman from Syria:
“At the end of last year, my country went through a very difficult time. My city was hit by a wave of chaos and fear. I was deeply concerned for my family, my friends and myself. In the midst of so much uncertainty, I tried to remain steadfast in my hope in God and to stay strong despite everything that was happening. Before these events, the young people with whom I am committed to living the Gospel had planned some projects to support families in need by preparing food parcels and organizing various initiatives.
“But the situation forced us to temporarily suspend all our activities. After a few days, we managed to meet with one another and we found great strength and courage in being together. We decided not to let fear overwhelm us, but rather to put our trust in Jesus and continue on the path we had begun. With this shared commitment, we were able to help more than forty families who were in real need of support. In the midst of those difficult times, we felt that, thanks to God’s love and our unity with one another, we could really make a difference.”
“Get up and do not be afraid.”
After climbing the mountain with Jesus to meet God and hear his voice, we can also descend with him, to “return to the plain, where we meet those who are weighed down by fatigue, illness, injustice, ignorance and poverty, both material and spiritual.”As a Christian community, we too might suffer and feel lost, but this Word of Life urges us to set out together in order to bring everyone “the fruits of our experience with God, by sharing the graces we have received.”
Prepared by Letizia Magri & the Word of Life Team
