June 17, 2026

Fr. John Riccardo

Jesus said to the Twelve: Fear no one. Nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. What I say to you in the darkness, speak in the light; what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, be afraid of the one who can destroy both soul and body in Gehenna. Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Everyone who acknowledges Me before others I will acknowledge before My heavenly Father. But whoever denies Me before others, I will deny before My heavenly Father (Matthew 10:26-33).

Fear. How many of us are crippled by it in one way or another? Fear for the future of a son or daughter. Fear of getting sick. Fear about our financial future. Fear of losing a job. Fear of not finding a job. Fear of not finding a spouse. Fear of dying. Fear of…you name it. Of the many arrows in the enemy’s quiver, fear is one of his sharpest.

This coming Sunday, each of us is going to walk into Church with a whole host of thoughts, concerns and fears on our minds. What we can often forget is that we are gathered together at Mass by Someone. Oh, I know we choose to get in the car and drive to Church, or walk down the street, or take the metro. Yet, at the same time, God is the One who is gathering us; He has invited us.

He has an intention in gathering us. He wants to speak to us. He wants to do more than just speak to us, I know; He wants to give us Himself in the Eucharist. But we can often forget that the proclamation of Scripture has amazingly healing power in it too. God’s word is power. It can strengthen us and heal us.

As a great teacher of mine constantly repeated, when the Gospel is proclaimed at Mass, it’s not merely the retelling of something Jesus said or did nearly two thousand years ago; it’s an event. In other words, it’s happening now. And so, as step into Church this Sunday and sit down in our pews with all our concerns and fears, Jesus’ words are meant to be healing for us.

“Fear no one.”

And nothing.

Why? Because God is a Father. A good Father. A Father who loves us is faithful, provides, cares, rescues, and holds us in His hands. A Father who has a plan for His good creation and most especially the creature made in His image and likeness. A Father who has acted in the Person of His Son, Jesus, and who, by His cross and resurrection has begun the recreation of this world and one day will gloriously bring it to fulfillment.

This doesn’t mean, of course, that we are somehow magically protected from any and all harm or from anything ever going wrong. Hardly. Obviously. Jesus doesn’t say that. But He does tell us, and reveal to us, that God is a Father who provides grace for every moment. Even — especially — the painful and difficult moments. That’s a promise. And because God doesn’t lie we can trust Him.

This is all heading somewhere. Life is not a tale told by an idiot full of sound and fury. We are not on our own. We are not thrown into existence. We are beloved sons and daughters of a good, good Father.

Let us, then, come to Mass this Sunday eager to encounter the living, loving, saving, faithful, rescuing God.

Fear No One

Just Love