Fear Not 220

Beloved brethren in the Lord, from the sacred ambo I speak to you as did the ancient shepherds of the flock, drawing from the wisdom of Jesus son of Sirach who lived in the days when the Temple yet stood in Jerusalem, two centuries before the Incarnation. In that Hellenistic age when Greek philosophy tempted the faithful, Sirach called Israel back to the fear of the Lord, that holy reverence which Proverbs declares the beginning of wisdom. 'You who fear the Lord, hope for good things, and be glad,' he proclaims, for this fear is no craven terror but the filial awe of children who trust the Father's providence amid trials. St. Augustine in his Enarrationes teaches that such fear purifies the heart, turning earthly hopes to heavenly ones, while St. John Chrysostom in his homilies on hope reminds us that the just man, tried like gold in the furnace, emerges glad with the promise of eternal reward. The Catena Aurea gathers the Fathers on kindred texts, showing how this verse echoes the Beatitudes and the patience of Job, urging us to cast aside worldly anxieties. In the early Church, amid persecutions under emperors, believers clung to this hope, their gladness shining forth in the catacombs as they awaited the resurrection. Let us therefore fear the Lord with steadfast hearts, hoping for good things both in this life and the life to come, rejoicing in His mercy. #FearNot220 #FearNotUNPLUGGED #205of220 #Catholic