The year of fear or not

Is this now the year of fear - 2016? Or have we left it behind - 2015

Today is the first day of 2016.  We leave a year with so many incidents of killings from terrorists, war , plane accidents; Paris shootings (twice), San Bernardino, Russian and Malaysia planes shot-down through terrorist bomb or missile from war, the list goes on.

We live in fear of someone coming in any time and shoot us, we live in doubt through our economy because the amount of debt we have accrued.

We live in fear of loosing some through suicide because of social media and online bullying

We live in fear of loosing now the sacrament of marriage or what the institution of marriage is which helps protect the core families we did have; but now put our social society in doubt now through civilly allowing homosexual marriages.  It's only matter of time the church will be pressured to marry or recognize these false unions.

We live in fear of now how are politicians take advantage of all what has been mentioned above and string us  like guitar strings and causing smoke screens, but not realizing the real needs we need from our government leaders; which is simply to be like St. Thomas Moore, serve the people justly.

I can't imagine if I was a person with no faith what we be going through my mind reflecting these fears, but since I'm a follower of Christ, I recall what he has said:

Mathew 6:25

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they?^o 27Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span?^* 28Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. 29But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. 30^* If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ 32All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness,^* and all these things will be given you besides. 34Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil."


An then also from John

"Do not love the world or the things of the world.
If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
For all that is in the world,
sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life,
is not from the Father but is from the world.
Yet the world and its enticement are passing away.
But whoever does the will of God remains forever."


We must redirect our selves past the physical nature of ourselves; like loosing our body or spouse and children bodies, our homes, our cars, belongings, money, etc.

We can't be fixated on these things, we can do what we can to take care of our bodies and well being of those near us, protect ourselves, increase our security for the future of our family needs.  We can't however depend soley on them, we must look to better protect our souls first and those around us who we care about; we do this by example by being charitable, pray, patience and loving.   If we are able to accomplish this , then all the fears above wouldn't then overtake us and would be secondary.

In short, we need to trust God's will and be present in the day, we will have plenty of times we will fail, but plenty of times to restart.  Only can we do this by constant prayer and serving those around us.  So this is no ordinary New Years resolution; we were attempt to do it and give up and forget about it, but this is a resolution we need to make every day.

Amen