Following is the prepared text from Bishop Olmsted’s homily for Father’s Day, the 12th Sunday in Ordinary Time.

June 21, 2020

“Fear no one.” – Mt 10:26

Why does Jesus repeat this mandate against fear three times in today’s Gospel passage? For at least 3 reasons: firstly, because whoever accepts Jesus’ call to follow Him will face hardship and hostility. We need these words of Jesus to resonate in our soul every day. Opposition and criticism will come from all sectors of society, even from one’s own family. We should be ready for trouble and persecution in this world when we put Jesus first in life. Nonetheless Jesus says (Mt 10: 28) “…do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.”

The second reason that Jesus tells us not to be afraid is that great blessings come from suffering for the sake of His Holy Name. Such persecution allows our commitment to Jesus to grow, giving us the chance to put our love of Jesus above all else. Love knows not its depths until the hour of testing and persecution. Facing fear provides us the opportunity to put Jesus first by defending what is good and beautiful when it is being mocked and scorned.

When we let fear creep in and imbed itself in our soul, we find ourselves allowing evil to go unchallenged and the gifts of the Spirit to be set aside. Fear keeps us from speaking the whole truth in love, from defending the things of God:

– like His plan for marriage
– like the dignity He bestows on every human person, including unborn children,
– like his condemnation of the evil of racism and
– His command that we love our neighbor, including the migrant and the beggar.

Yes, fear is strong, devastatingly strong. Never let us dismiss its power. Yet, never over-estimate it either; for “perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). And Jesus is perfect love.

Thirdly, Jesus tells us not to be afraid because He knows how easily the cost of remaining faithful to God can make us waver. He knows the natural human tendency to recoil from threats and to cave to public pressure. That is why the Church praises the courage of the martyrs and seeks their constant intercession: heroic saints like Maximilian Kolbe who offered his life to save another’s in Auschwitz, and Thomas More who refused to betray his conscience in the Tower of London, and Maria Goretti who died at the age of twelve for refusing to betray her virginity.

If we allow fear of being hated or slandered to paralyze our defense of Christ, we sink to the same level as our enemies and allow their distorted notions of reality to prevail. Being courageous in word and witness arises from the faith-grounded conviction that, in the end, truth and charity will triumph.

Remember the advice of St. Peter in his 1st Letter: Beloved, do not be surprised that a trial by fire is occurring among you, as if something strange were happening to you. But rejoice to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly (I Ptr 4:12-13).

It is helpful to recall that the most diabolic of all temptations is discouragement: when we begin to doubt the goodness of the Lord, we lose heart and our courage falters. St. Peter minces no words in this regard. He states bluntly: “Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings (I Ptr 5:8-9).”

Today we celebrate Father’s Day – taking time to thank God for our Dads and all the sacrifices they make for our Moms and families. At this Holy Mass, let us pray for them, living and deceased, as we offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass to our heavenly Father.

Many centuries ago, God gathered His chosen people at Sinai and placed before them a clear option: “I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live” (Deut 30:19).

As we renew the Profession of our Faith at this Mass today, publicly proclaiming our belief in the Kingdom of God, let us ask our heavenly Father to cast out all fear from our hearts, and to give us lively faith each day to choose life, fullness of life in Christ.