Dec 18

Weight of the World

“Do not be afraid…” How often do those words appear and reappear throughout Scripture? Too many times to count. It turns out we are not the only ones who carry fear around with us, like rocks weighing down a heavy backpack. Our fears are usually nothing close to the level of what Joseph faced in today’s Gospel, and yet we turn them into mountains that seem impossible to climb. What if we pull that backpack off our shoulders today? Open it up, and one by one take out the rocks of fear and despair; give each one a good look, and then relinquish it to God, who is waiting to help us bear our burdens. Refill your backpack with light and faith, joy and mercy. What a difference it makes when we trade in our fears for God’s hope!