12th Sunday
Jer 20:10-13; Rom 5:12-15; Mat 10:26-33
Be Not Afraid!
One Sunday morning, Satan showed up in a small-town church. Everyone panicked—people were screaming and running for the door. But one elderly man just sat there calmly in his pew. So Satan walked up to him and said, “Don’t you know who I am?” The man said, “Yes, I know you.” Satan asked, “Aren’t you going to run?” The man calmly replied, “No, I’m not going to run.”
Now Satan was bothered. “Why aren’t you afraid of me?” And the man said, “I’ve been married to your sister for over forty-eight years.”
Now, that’s humorous—but it leads us to something serious. The readings today are really calling us to preach Christ with our words and, more importantly, to live without fear.
Sin Denies Truth: If we look at the first reading, we see the prophet Jeremiah going through a very difficult time. He trusted in God, but he faced a lot of opposition in his mission. He warned the people about the judgment that was coming because of their sins—but instead of listening, they mocked him and even plotted against him. They wanted to silence him.
At one point, Jeremiah got so frustrated that he thought about just keeping quiet. But he couldn’t. He said it was like a burning fire in his heart—he had to speak. And deep down, he knew God was with him. That’s why he could say, “The Lord is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble.”
Now, we might ask—why do people who work for God suffer like this? The answer is simple: because sin is in the world. As St. Paul says, “Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin.” As long as sin exists, anything that tries to fight it will meet resistance.
Sin doesn’t like truth. It actually resists it. It corrupts the human mind—the very thing God gave us to recognize truth. And not just truth—it resists justice, love, obedience, holiness, and grace too.
Why Not Be Afraid? So when Jesus sent out the twelve apostles, He told them clearly: do not be afraid. And He gave them three reasons—and these reasons apply to us too.
First, our opponents cannot stop the mission of Christ. They may try, but in the end, God will expose everything. Jesus says that what is hidden will be brought to light. Evil will never have the final word, and those who remain faithful will be vindicated.
Second, our opponents have limited power. Yes, they can harm the body—even kill it—but they cannot touch the soul. That’s why Jesus says we should only fear the one who has authority over both body and soul.
Think about it—most of our fears come from thinking we might lose something: our job, our family, our home, our health, even our life. And tradition tells us that almost all the apostles—except John—actually died as martyrs.
Third, we are called to rely on God’s loving care. Jesus reminds us that even sparrows are cared for—and we are worth much more than they are. So if God cares for them, how much more will He care for us? But there’s also a challenge here. Jesus says that if we acknowledge Him before others, He will acknowledge us before the Father. But if we deny Him, He will deny us.
In the second reading, St. Paul is encouraging the Christians in Rome not to be afraid. Why? Because they share in Christ’s death and resurrection. Through Him, they are brought into new life—the life of the new Adam.
The early Christians understood this very well. They lived courageously, even knowing their faith could cost them their lives. And we are called to do the same—not to deny Christ, whether by what we say, what we do, or even by staying silent. Sometimes denial isn’t loud—it’s in the choices we make that go against our faith.
That’s why the words of St. John Paul II are so powerful: “Do not be afraid. Do not be satisfied with mediocrity.” We should never be ashamed to live our faith or to speak about it when necessary.
Institutional and Charismatic Prophets: Now, today Jesus is also calling each of us to be fearless—like the prophets. In the Church, we can think of two kinds of prophets. First, there are institutional prophets. These are people like bishops, priests, theologians, and religious leaders—men and women—who help guide us and keep us faithful to the Gospel. Their work usually happens within the structure of the Church.
Then there are charismatic prophets. These are people who have a strong sense of God’s Word and the courage to speak it boldly. They may be inside or outside the Church’s formal structures. Some are saints, others are not.
Think about people like Martin Luther King Jr., who fought for racial equality in the United States; St. Oscar Romero, who stood up against oppression in El Salvador; and Mahatma Gandhi, who worked for peace and freedom in India. Each of them gave their life for what they believed in. And then there’s St. Teresa of Calcutta. She may not have been known for long speeches, but her actions spoke loudly. She showed Christ through her love for the poorest of the poor.
So maybe one day, we too can be counted among the prophets of our time—even if it’s just in our own homes, workplaces, and communities. The real question we need to ask ourselves is: am I truly being a prophet where I am?
If our Church truly lives as a witness to Christ, it may also become a suffering Church—especially in difficult times like these. In the end, our lives will either point people to Christ or away from Him. There’s no middle ground. Our lives are either a witness or a denial.
And every single day, in whatever we do, we have a chance to confess Christ—with courage and with love.
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