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Moving Forward When Paralyzed By Fear

Thursday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 380

Reading 1  AM 7:10-17

Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent word to Jeroboam,
king of Israel:
“Amos has conspired against you here within Israel;
the country cannot endure all his words.
For this is what Amos says:
Jeroboam shall die by the sword,
and Israel shall surely be exiled from its land.”

To Amos, Amaziah said:
“Off with you, visionary, flee to the land of Judah!
There earn your bread by prophesying,
but never again prophesy in Bethel;
for it is the king’s sanctuary and a royal temple.”
Amos answered Amaziah, “I was no prophet,
nor have I belonged to a company of prophets;
I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores.
The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me,
‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’
Now hear the word of the LORD!”

You say: prophesy not against Israel,
preach not against the house of Isaac.
Now thus says the LORD:
Your wife shall be made a harlot in the city,
and your sons and daughters shall fall by the sword;
Your land shall be divided by measuring line,
and you yourself shall die in an unclean land;
Israel shall be exiled far from its land.

 

Responsorial Psalm 19:8, 9, 10, 11

R. (10cd) The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
The decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart;
The command of the LORD is clear,
enlightening the eye.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever;
The ordinances of the LORD are true,
all of them just.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.
They are more precious than gold,
than a heap of purest gold;
Sweeter also than syrup
or honey from the comb.
R. The judgments of the Lord are true, and all of them are just.

 

Alleluia. 2 COR 5:19

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ
and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel. MT 9:1-8

After entering a boat, Jesus made the crossing, and came into his own town.
And there people brought to him a paralytic lying on a stretcher.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic,
“Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”
At that, some of the scribes said to themselves,
“This man is blaspheming.”
Jesus knew what they were thinking, and said,
“Why do you harbor evil thoughts?
Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’
or to say, ‘Rise and walk’?
But that you may know that the Son of Man
has authority on earth to forgive sins”–
he then said to the paralytic,
“Rise, pick up your stretcher, and go home.”
He rose and went home.
When the crowds saw this they were struck with awe
and glorified God who had given such authority to men.

By Sierra Rosamilia

I stress... a lot... like A LOT. 

I stress over some of the littlest things, but one thing that has been a constant stressor of mine is the future. I worry about where to go to college, what career path I should follow, where I’ll live, and most importantly, who I’ll become. 

Sometimes I fear that I’ll make the wrong decisions, that I’ll go to college for the wrong thing and drown myself in student loans.  

I am so afraid that I’ll go into a career and then find out that God has a different purpose for me. 

I was struck by the verses: “I was no prophet, nor have I belonged to a company of prophets; I was a shepherd and a dresser of sycamores. The LORD took me from following the flock, and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.” - Amos 7:14-15 

 

 

Even if I feel like eventually I may have life figured out, it still might not be what God has planned. Amos wasn’t a prophet, he didn't plan on it, but the Lord did. There are so many unanswered questions and unsolved scenarios and it scares me.

Yes, I can tell myself ‘God has it all figured out’, and I do believe it. But it’s hard to let go of the fear. 

Fear. That word kills. Fear has pulled me down and torn me apart multiple times, just to have control.

What no one told me is that fear is a choice.

I've made choices my entire life and I have learned that in order to even begin to trust God, I have to have faith in His plan. My everyday battle is choosing faith over fear.

 

Even though I still continue to stress about everything, I am able to have faith in my Father, for I know that His plan is not harmful but full of love and grace, gentleness and mercy. God is with me, every step of the way. When it comes to living out my future, today's readings remind me to trust God and that I will always have the strength to choose faith over fear.

God is the author of each of our lives, He wrote everything according to His plan.

Why do I fear the future? Do I doubt God’s judgement? 

When it comes to living my life, I can have one of two reactions, fear of what comes next, or faith that it’ll all work out.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Sierra Rosamilia is an upcoming senior in high school. She started to discover what it truly meant to be “alive in the faith” almost 2 years ago. When she’s not planning youth group events or participating in a project in the community, you’ll find her cozied up on the couch with a fuzzy blanket and her cat, Chloe, watching a Netflix show that she’ll most likely not have the patience to finish. She enjoys discovering new things, places, music... anything really, and she’s always seeking a new adventure! 

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1 comment

  • What a wonderful reflection Sierra! You are very talented. Fear is something that is controlling the world today. We all need to have more faith in God. Our journeys walking with him won’t be easy but he will always give us the courage and strength to finish. May God Bless you and continue to guide you to do his work!✝️

    Tina Frank

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