The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
As a little girl, I fell in love with the Chronicles of Narnia, that beloved book series by C.S. Lewis. One line from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader has stuck with me:
“But no one except Lucy knew that as [the figure] circled the mast it had whispered to her, ‘Courage, dear heart,’ and the voice, she felt sure, was Aslan’s.”
Courage, dear heart, is a phrase I keep close even now over 10 years later. Have you ever felt like Lucy and suddenly recognized Christ’s voice whispering encouragement amidst stormy fears, whether in prayer, silence, or simply going about your day?
We hear that same call for courage in today’s Gospel. It is not a matter of if we will encounter obstacles and suffering but when. Even so, our Lord tells us three times in Matthew 10:26-33 that we need not be afraid — not of people, not of persecution, or even great loss. Nothing is ever lost or wasted if it is offered fully to Christ. We can take heart in the fact that He does not let us go through trials without providing the strength to bear it. We should only fear choosing cowardice over vulnerability; He will make us lion-hearted, if we let Him.
Fear often comes from a place of avoiding uncertainty or clinging to control. But we can trust Him with the details of our lives. Nothing slips His attention, nothing goes unnoticed or hidden forever, as we hear in the Gospel message. He pours infinite love and grace into even small things we may be tempted to see as insignificant: the sparrows, the hairs on our head, the widow’s two last coins — even these are accounted for. As you head into this week, remember that in the same way, you are seen, deeply known, and loved by our Father.
Hannah Fowerbaugh is the social media specialist for the University of Saint Francis, a Catholic university in the Franciscan tradition of faith and reason located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. When not on campus, she’s an old soul usually found with a picnic basket, her trusty Polaroid or a honey chai. Say hi on Instagram or find her writing on her blog!