Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God, ….
Frequently a parent will come up to me with their young child and ask me to pray for that child. They will explain to me that the child is afraid. In Spanish they may say to me, “Padre, mi niño está asustado,” or, “Father, my child is afraid.”
I remember being afraid as a child. I was convinced that there was a monster under my bed or in my closet. Sometimes I had nightmares. I can remember crawling into bed with my parents when I couldn’t sleep because I was afraid. It’s not unusual to be afraid of some nameless fear.
The problem is that these nameless, baseless fears can also lead to superstition. That is often when people start seeking superstitious remedies for their fears, including fortune tellers or potions or even religious items, as if they had magical powers. Some even take gallons of Holy Water home to help them with their or their children’s fears. These are false comforts. There is something much more powerful: Our Baptism.
I have a suggestion for these parents. Why not consider these moments of fear in our children as opportunities to teach them not to fear? Teach them not to be afraid. Teach them why they have no reason to be afraid. Teach them about their Baptism. That is true evangelization. They will never forget that lesson.
Jesus always told people, “Do not be afraid” or “Fear not”, just like God told the prophet Isaiah. He worked miracles and cast out demons to show us his power over evil. Do not be afraid! Embrace your own Baptism.
Jesus told us to be baptized in order to live with him in the Kingdom of God, forever. This meant, as he explained, that when we accepted him and were baptized that death could no longer hold us. St. Paul explained that, as Christians, we can confidently mock death, saying,
Death is swallowed up in victory.
Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?
Death no longer has control over us. We don’t need to be afraid of death. By his Cross and Resurrection, Jesus defeated death forever. By our Baptism, we also cannot die.
Now, of course our bodies die. Children will experience the death of pets and grandparents and friends and the death of members of their friends’ families. How do we prepare our children to understand death and eternal life? Teach them about their Baptism. Teach them that Baptism is the door to eternal life and the sacraments. The flesh will die and the machine that is our bodies will grow old and pass away, but we cannot die if we embrace our Baptism. Parents, teach your children to embrace their Baptism. By using these vulnerable, fearful moments as opportunities, as teachable moments, we can instill greater faith in our children, and strengthen our own faith.
Parents, when your child is afraid, hug them, and then teach them about their Baptism in that moment.
In the Gospel we learn that God does not want us to fear poverty or illness or handicaps. Jesus, the Lord of the universe, got down on his hands and knees and put his Divine finger into the ears of the deaf mute. The King of Kings got down on his knees, put “Divine spit” on his finger and then touched the tongue of the man with spit on his finger, and the man was completely cured. That miracle story is given to us to show how much Jesus loves us, and the power he has over human weakness. If he can do that, then of what are we afraid?
Say to those whose hearts are frightened:
Be strong, fear not!
Here is your God, ….