Bp. Morlino: Fear of the Lord gives tremendous peace, and hope, and joy

Trusting in God
We cannot know God’s plan for our lives, for the world, for His Church.

With that lack of knowing comes fear and discomfort. But with it should also come the realization, once again, that God is God, and we are not. For the woman or man of faith, Fear of the Lord should be followed immediately by tremendous peace, and hope, and joy.

God IS God. He is the creator of the universe and the one who has sent His Son among us. Like Mary and with Mary, we should trust that the Almighty has done great things for His lowly ones, by the Incarnation.

Mary should be our model
In fact it is Mary who should always be our model at Christmas time. From the time that the Angel appeared to her, Mary knew that God was with her, she knew that this child was to be, “great . . . Son of the Most High” (Lk 1:32).

Mary knew that Jesus was the Messiah and she was confounded, saying, “How can this be?” The angel’s response added to the strangeness and mystery, for Gabriel’s response is little more than, “God has a plan . . . not only for you but for your cousin Elizabeth too . . .” There is no consoling explanation from the angel, only, “God has a plan which you cannot possibly understand.”

And how does Mary respond to this revelation that God has a plan she could not possibly understand? “May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). She responds with complete trust and confidence in God.

full article at MadCatHerald