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August 8, 2020
During this pandemic, people, not just Catholics, are angry, fearful and prone to anxiety. Lots of reasons; restricted access to the Catholic mass, rioting in the streets, a national election, devastation around the world, most recently, a needless loss of life in Lebanon. Our lives are upended our health threatened, our economy erratic in ways we have never experienced. New unemployment claims have started to decline but are still extremely high. The American Psychological Association’s annual “Stress in America” survey, demonstrated that people whose fears about future of our nation are “a significant source of stress” rose to 83 percent in June 2020, up from 63 percent in 2017. There has been fear in our country before this pandemic, but it is as if we are living through a perfect storm and we read about Jesus walking on the water in today’s Gospel.
The Gallup Poll asked Americans whether they had worried “a lot yesterday.” The people who answered yes to that question rose from 36 percent to 45 percent from 2006 to 2018. “Feelings of stress” rose from 46 percent to 55 percent during that same time period. Conspiracy theories aside, and if you doubt that this is all a conspiracy then you must be in on it, fear, anxiety and stress are increasing. People are afraid of leaders they don’t trust in government, church and elsewhere. Young and old are concerned about environmental threats and whether the unscrupulous are taking advantage of climate change. People worry about getting good work, bad influences on their children and grand children. Chapman University’s annual “Survey of American Fears,” for 2018 said that almost 74 percent of Americans were afraid of corrupt government officials, 62 percent were afraid of water pollution and 57 percent were afraid of not having enough money for the future. People are also afraid of ancient civilizations like Atlantis (57%), visits by aliens in the ancient past (41%) and in modern times (35%). Also, ghosts (58%) and, of course, people are afraid of God. That is what the Gospel is about today.
The Gospel proposes a striking way to combat fear; learn to love better.“When men choose not to believe in God, they do not thereafter believe in nothing, they then become capable of believing in anything.”― G.K. Chesterton
Chapman University Documents
1. Complete list of Fears 2018
2. Paranormal beliefs
A theophany: Jesus and Peter walk on water - Matthew 14:22-33
Remember, we believe Jesus rose from the dead and is alive with God the Father. If not absolutely true, that is a weird belief. Maybe not fear of the rise of Atlantis but remember how much we have invested in the witness of Peter, Paul and the rest. We believe that the world is weirder than anyone really imagines. Today, the story is about a theophany, that is, a visible manifestation of God.
Jesus, last week, multiplied the loaves and, then, withdrew to pray (Matt 14:13-20, 23) and sent the disciples ahead by boat to the other shore. In all four gospels we are told, in this or similar words,
The fourth watch of the night is between 3am and 6am. (cf. Mark 13:35) Remember that your dad told you nothing good happens after 10 pm, so be home and in your bed. Jesus is not at home, instead he came “walking on the sea” towards the disciples in the boat and said “Take heart, I am.” The Greek, phrase εγω ειμι, transliterated, egō eimi, means “ I am.” It is the way God designated himself to Moses in Exodus 3. (See also, RSV/NAB: “It is I” (cf. Ex. 3:14 LXX; John 8:58; 18:5-6) That phrase, egō eimi is used in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures. J esus got into the boat, the wind ceased and they quickly reached the shore, according to St. John. When they were safe ashore, it is then that the disciples began to fear. “Utterly astounded” in Mark’s words, they thought they were seeing a ghost. Fear reached its greatest intensity at the moment Jesus gets into the boat and the wind suddenly subsided. Ratzinger, Joseph. Jesus of Nazareth . The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,
was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.
During the fourth watch of the night,
he came toward them walking on the sea.
The disciples’ fear is the kind associated with “theophanies.” St. Peter experienced this fear when, at Jesus’ direction, he made an abundant catch of fish. Peter, instead of thanking Jesus, was terrified and fell at Jesus’ feet, saying:
Walking on the waters is a divine prerogative:“Depart from me, for I am a sinful man” (Lk 5:8).
God “alone stretched out the heavens, and trampled the waves of the sea,” Job 9:8; cf. Ps 76:20
A theophany in John’s Gospel occurs when the resurrected Jesus appeared to the disciples in the upper room and provoked adoration and the proclamation, “Truly you are the Son of God.” Pope Benedict wrote in his book, Jesus of NazarethThe Jesus who walked on the water is not the familiar Jesus, but someone within whom the disciples suddenly recognize the presence of God himself. Ratzinger, Joseph. Jesus of Nazareth . The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
“Jesus has come so that human beings may have life and have it in abundance (cf. Jn 10:10). His only gift is life, and he is able to give it because the divine life is present in him in original and inexhaustible fullness” (Barrett, Gospel, II, p. 88). In the end, man both needs and longs for just one thing: life, the fullness of life—“happiness.” In one passage in John’s Gospel, Jesus calls this one simple thing for which we long “perfect joy” (Jn 16:24). …
Man needs just one thing, in which everything else is included. He must first delve beyond his superficial wishes and longings in order to learn to recognize what it is that he truly needs and truly wants. He needs God. And so, we now realize what ultimately lies behind all the Johannine images: Jesus gives us “life” because he gives us God. He can give God because he himself is one with God, because he is the Son. He himself is the gift—he is “life.” Ratzinger, Joseph. Jesus of Nazareth . The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
This story, which appears in all the Gospels, is a theophany. Why do we doubt God’s presence and why does Peter sink? Peter sinks, because he is afraid and doubts.
Fear is at the root of doubt, often, and it was fear that caused Peter to deny Jesus three times the night he was arrested, also.But when he saw how strong the wind was, he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!: Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught Peter and said to him, "O, you of little faith, why did you doubt. Mt. 14:22.
Catholic Practice: God’s presence manifested invites adoration and love, not fear
In this story, as in the Resurrection stories, the response of the apostles to the theophany is to worship. Matthew says, “Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,“Truly, you are the Son of God.” Catholic’s genuflect as they enter Church for the same reason that the disciples bowed downed to Jesus in the boat on the lake. We genuflect before the tabernacle. It is fitting that we would kneel before the presence of God, especially in this time of anxiety, in the Eucharist. He is no less present in the tabernacle than he was on the day when St. Peter tried to walk on water. We worship, because worship builds love for God and love for God drives out fear. St. John says perfect love drives out fear.[i]
People are afraid of a lot of things right now. If we take the Gospel seriously, the way to manage our fears is to build love. Here are some ideas about how to grow in love that make sense for a whole lot of reasons. Love is about relationship, not isolation. Think of some practical ways to build relationship, intimacy and the connection of community.
1. Confess your fear to someone you trust. Why keep a stiff upper lip. Talk calmly with others about hidden fears. If we don’t acknowledge what we are afraid of fear might dominate us. Many people carry their fears stoically, never sharing them openly with others. Fears we refuse to acknowledge will bite us in the end. Talk about your fears.
2. Express your love for others. Tell someone you love them. Take the risk and tell a family member that you love them, especially if you haven’t said it in a while. You probably heard about the German who loved his wife so much, that one day he almost told her. The more you say “I love you,” the more real it will become. We all grow into love because those who abide in love, abide in God. 1 John 4:16
3. Take a risk and tell a friend. You have dear friends that you trust and love. Tell them. For young people, don’t be afraid to take a risk about confessing your admiration and feelings for another, maybe even a future spouse. Rejection is not a bad thing, when compared to the joy of acceptance. Fear of committing is a disease that will rob you of life.
4. Love your enemies. That is a crazy idea. Try following Jesus’ commandment to us, he gave it to us for our own good. Anger is an expression of fear. Love deals with fears in a transformative way. Try having a conversation with someone you deeply disagree with exercising your compassion. At the end, you disagree. So what? It is not like killer robots from Atlantis will make an alliance with your enemy by calling in a conspiratorial alliance of space aliens, ancient and modern, and attack you. At least, probably not. Maybe not.
The basic human instinct is to take ground and hold it. If that is not feasible, then run away. Fight or flight. We can add more to our strategy for life. Try love casting out fear. Our instincts to fight, don’t care if we are happy. Swim against your instincts and take a chance. You might find yourself fearlessly walking on water.[i] St. John of the Cross wrote in his Spiritual CanticleThe Father thus gives them the same love he shares with the Son, though not by nature as with the Son, but through unity and transformation of love. One should not think that the Son is asking the Father to make the saints one with him in essence and nature as the Son is with the Father, but rather that they be united with him in love, just as the Father and Son are one in the essential unity of love. Accordingly, souls possess the same goods by participation that the Son possesses by nature. As a result, they are truly divine by participation, equals and companions of God.
Listen to "The Art of Happiness Podcast" by Arthur C. Brooks, the source for the advice on love offered in my homily and podcast. Dr. Brooks podcasts are a great listen and you can listen to
Curing the Epidemic of Fear
"What are you afraid of? We’re facing a fear epidemic in America, and it’s not just due to the coronavirus. In this episode, Arthur and Ceci take a deep dive into fear—including how to understand, manage, and even neutralize it. Most importantly, Arthur shares some actionable tips for building your defenses against fear and learning to love and live courageously."
