n the first pages of the Gospel written by St. Luke, we read three times these words: "Do not be afraid". They are spoken to Zechariah by the angel of the Lord who foretells that he and his wife Elizabeth will have a child (Lk. 1:13); then the same words are spoken to Mary by the archangel Gabriel who tells her that she is to be the mother of Jesus (Lk. 1:30); and again an angel of God addresses the shepherds on Christmas night with the words "Do not be afraid" (Lk. 2:10). It is most significant that the very beginning of the account of the coming of the Son of God in our midst should be accompanied by the reassurance: "Do not be afraid".

hy would Zechariah, the blessed Virgin and the shepherds be afraid? Not because of an impending danger, but simply because the distance between the unlimited greatness of God and our human feebleness is so great that any manifestation of God is by itself astounding and awesome. The content of the three messages, however, was joyful news that dispelled all fear. The angel in fact told the shepherds: "I am here to give you good news, great joy for all the people: today a Savior is born".

o wonder then that the Christmas season - and, for that matter, all our life - is a time of rejoicing: God has not only sent messengers to us, His own Word has come to live among us, to be one of us, to be our Savior. This is the most fundamental reason why Christians should never be afraid: "If God is with us, who can be against us?" (Rm. 8:31)

here are many times, however, when God speaks to us in ways that do not convey immediate joy or reassurance, but rather the contrary. The very words of Jesus, who told us that to be His disciples we must carry our cross, that we will be persecuted for our faith and loyalty to Him, are not joy-filled words. Human life and the events of history - specifically in our own days - are marked by great suffering and anxiety for millions of people. Are we not going to experience fear and even terror on such occasions? Are we not duty-bound to exert every effort at combating evil, at protecting ourselves and others, at succoring the victims and banning the wrongdoers? Do the words "Do not be afraid" still have a meaning in such circumstances? The answer is "Yes", even if it may be quite difficult at times to accept it .... There are many instances in the Gospel that can help us to find an answer to our questions. Let us take one episode:

"esus got into the boat and His disciples followed Him. Without warning, a fierce storm hit the lake, with waves sweeping the boat. But Jesus was asleep. They woke Him up and cried 'Lord, save us! We are lost!' But Jesus answered 'Why are you so afraid, you of little faith?' Then He stood up and ordered the wind and the sea; and it became completely calm" (Mt. 8:23-26). The storm was fierce even for experienced boatmen and we can surely understand their panic as they saw themselves in the immediate danger of drowning. They had exhausted all their skills: humanly speaking they could see no way out. At that point they call on Jesus and His first words to them are puzzling indeed: "Why are you so afraid, you of little faith?" Then the Lord suddenly calms both storms: the one on the lake and the one in their terrified hearts. It is in those few words of Jesus that we may begin to understand the meaning of "Do not be afraid": the Lord links the fear of the disciples to their lack of faith.

e know that storms and dangers occur to all too frequently in our lives. Does faith prevent them or spare us from facing them? No. In fact it will even seem oftentimes that while we suffer and struggle, the Lord is absent, asleep, as He apparently was on the disciples' boat. Left on our own, we are tempted to reach the edge of despair in front of the tragedies that fall on us or surround us. Faith alone tells us that there is something beyond what we can perceive at the limited horizon of our sight and "that something" is the infinite goodness and power of God, forever faithful and everywhere present, who will turn suffering into joy and even death into life. In this sense and at this level we are able to "Be not afraid", to not give up in despair.

he greatest example of this mystery is found in Jesus Himself. He too was humanly terrified at the prospect of His sufferings and death, to the point that in the garden of Gethsemane, He sweated blood, but even then He was not afraid, He did not give up, because He believed in the unfailing love of His Father. The answer of the Father to the fearless trust of Jesus came in His glorious Resurrection.

"e not afraid" is not an invitation to a passive fatalism or to a proud stoicism. It demands that we realistically assess and face all difficulties while at the same time remain unshakably confident of the Omnipotent and Faithful Love of God. It demands that we trustingly learn to extend our limited horizons to the long view of God, whose ultimate victory over all evil and death, gives us a certainty.