June 21, 2026

12^th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)  

Be not Afraid…Be Prophetic

Msgr. Thomas Gervasio

 
A few years ago, at the funeral of Deacon Neil Pirozzi of St. Gregory the Great Parish, his son, Scot shared a childhood memory of his father. Neil had purchased a slick, shiny, sports car and decided to take Scot for a ride. Trying to impress his son, Neil raced down country roads exceeding the speed limit. His son said, “Dad, aren’t you afraid of being stopped by the police?” Neil replied, “Hey! I’m not afraid of anybody! Neil kept speeding along. Scot asked again, “Dad, aren’t you afraid of the police?” Neil replied, I’m not afraid of anyone. Just don’t tell your mother!”
 
While we might claim that we fear no one or anything, we would have to admit that we do have fears: fears of physical dangers, health issues, financial struggles, rejection by others, loneliness, intimacy, failure, going to confession, and death.
 
Fear keeps us from doing many things we ought to do. Fear can paralyze us. There is one fear that so many of us possess that has a ruinous effect on our culture—the fear of witnessing to our faith, to be prophetic in a world increasingly secularized and atheistic. We are silent on so many important issues, afraid of being rejected or ridiculed by others. We do not want people to think that we are a religious zealot, out of step with the times, afraid that someone will raise an eyebrow.
 
We should not be surprised by rejection, ridicule or even outright persecution. They are promised in the Gospel. Peter Kreeft of Boston College, wrote that “an index of the Church’s fidelity to her Master is her indigestibility…The Church looks today like a non-prophet organization, because most of us in the Church seem too cowardly, conformist, and compromising to be prophets…But
 
all the popes have spoken out consistently against the sins and errors of both the Left and Right, because the Church follows neither the donkey nor the elephant; she follows the Lamb. She wants to conserve things that are far more precious than those who embrace political categories.”
 
Pope Benedict warned that “we have lost the sense that Christians cannot live just like everybody else.” We can be too self-absorbed and eager to fit into the world around us. We fear being out of step with public opinion on an array of vital issues. And as a result, we have allowed our culture to distort our moral compass.
 
What is needed to make a course correction so that the Gospel can take root within our culture? Courage—the courage to speak out—to explain and defend what Christ and His Church teach us about the sanctity of human life at every stage, sexual morality, marriage, family, and social justice.
 
Today’s liturgy places before us the courageous figure of the prophet Jeremiah. Jesus tells us clearly three times: “Fear no one…do not be afraid…do not be afraid…” So let us pray for greater courage in witnessing our faith:
 
Lord Jesus, being your disciple means to proclaim your glory, to make known your truth. By our baptism we share in your office of Priest, Prophet, and King. Help us to be better prophets. Contrary voices and messages besiege us and make us fearful and silent. Help me to cast off my fears for you are with me. Grant that my profession of faith may never be renounced, insincere, or mediocre, but always honest, clear, joyful, praiseworthy and credible. Amen.