Tag: fear

On
Bishop Donald J. Hying

Jesus urges us to cast away fear

Bishop Donald J. Hying's column

The Storm at Sea occurs in each of the Gospels, that perilous moment when the apostles are terrified by the wind and the waves on the Sea of Galilee until Jesus calms the tempest and encourages them to not be afraid.

In the Gospels, the apostles’ boat always symbolizes the Church. And so we think of all the times in the history of the Church that there have been storms, difficulties, and challenges, including persecutions, betrayals from within, epic struggles with political powers, global wars, theological divisions, and terrible instances of clergy sexual abuse.

We think of our own lives, the suffering we have gone through, the challenges we have faced, the changes that perhaps have intruded into our lives in an unwelcome way — all the things that frighten, overwhelm, or disturb us.

‘Do not be afraid’

The constant message of the Storm at Sea is Jesus’ refrain, “Do not be afraid. It is I. I am with you.” Throughout the Scriptures, this urging to cast away fear is God’s constant message to us.

Somebody went through all the hard work of counting how many times in the Bible God says, “Do not be afraid!” and it’s 366 — one for every day of the year plus Leap Year.

Read More
On
John Huebscher

In past debates, leaders appealed to ideals, not fears

The current debate over whether to welcome refugees fleeing the carnage in Syria reminded me of how one leader spoke to a similar situation some years ago.

Clifford “Tiny” Krueger represented much of northern Wisconsin in the State Senate for 34 years from the mid-1940s until 1983.

Conscience of common man

First a Progressive, then a Republican, Krueger was the GOP Senate floor leader from 1975 to 1981. When he retired, a veteran observer of the Capitol scene described him as “the conscience of the common man.”

That conscience was very evident in May of 1980. Tiny was asked to offer a few remarks at the Memorial Day observance in Rhinelander. Then as now, the issue of whether to accept refugees from another country was a hot topic.

Read More
On
Jacqueline von Zwehl

Finding the one . . . just ‘let it go’

Gifts for Your Soul column by Jacqueline von Zwehl

One of my rituals I always look forward to is girl’s night out. A group of four of us have been meeting for dinner about once a month for years now.

Over the years, two of us have gotten married and had kids, one member of our group has been in a steady relationship for a year, and one friend is currently single. We love each other like sisters and look forward to this evening with great anticipation.

After we finished dinner and had dessert served, my single girlfriend blurted out, “I don’t think God is listening to my prayers.” I immediately dropped my fork, forsaking my tiramisu. She continued with a heavy heart, “I’ve been praying and praying. I volunteer, pray for others, go to mass, everything,” exasperation entered her voice, “but I’m still single and can’t seem to meet the right person to share my life with. I just don’t know what to do anymore, and I’m afraid I’m losing my faith in my prayers.”

Read More