BE NOT AFRAID
TWELFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME June 25, 2017 Saint Cecilia Catholic Community, Palm Springs, CA Jeremiah 20:10-13 Psalm 69:8-10,14,17,33-45 Romans 5:12-15 Matthew 10:26-33 Rev. David Justin Lynch BE NOT AFRAID Today’s reading are about fear, and how we deal with it. What exactly is fear? According to the magazine Psychology Today , fear is an emotional response induced by a perceived threat, which causes a change in brain and organ function, as well as in behavior. Fear can lead us to hide, to run away, or to freeze in our shoes. Fear may arise from a confrontation, or from avoiding a threat, or it may come in the form of a discovery. Some fears are good-to prevent danger, like being afraid to touch a hot stove or to cross a street while cars are coming at us. However, fear in many contexts is not productive. It doesn’t build bridges and it doesn’t bake bread. It gets in the way of ministry. Our present age is marked by lo...