Fear Not 220

Beloved brethren, as the shadows of evening descend upon the faithful gathered in the house of the Lord, let us turn our hearts to the words of the Apostle Paul, who declares in his letter to the Romans: "we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God." Written from Corinth amid the travels of his apostolic mission, this epistle unfolds the mystery of justification by faith, a doctrine that echoes through the ages from the catacombs to the basilicas of our forefathers. In the days when the Church was young and persecution loomed like a gathering storm, Paul addressed a community divided between Jew and Gentile, teaching that through Christ we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand. The Early Fathers, those pillars of wisdom such as St. John Chrysostom, expound in their homilies how this boasting is no empty pride but a steadfast rejoicing in the promise of divine glory. Chrysostom notes that while the world boasts in fleeting honors, the Christian glories in the hope of eternal participation in God's own radiance, a hope born from faith and nourished by the blood of martyrs. St. Augustine, in his profound reflections preserved within the Catena Aurea, further illuminates this verse by linking it to the chain of virtues that follows justification: suffering produces endurance, endurance character, and character hope. This hope, he teaches, does not disappoint, for it is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. In the historical crucible of the early centuries, when believers faced exile and trial, such words fortified the soul against despair, reminding us that our boast transcends the empire's glories and rests solely in the eternal kingdom. Consider, dear children of God, how this hope transforms our evening prayers. As the sun sets, casting its final light upon the altar, we do not mourn the day's toils but rejoice in the glory yet to be revealed. The Fathers of the Church, drawing from the sacred Scriptures, bid us to see in this verse the fulfillment of the ancient promises to Abraham, extended now to all nations through the cross. Let not the trials of this age dim our vision, but rather let them kindle within us a deeper longing for the beatific vision. Thus, as night approaches, may this hope sustain you until the dawn of the resurrection. Amen. #FearNot220 #FearNotUNPLUGGED #178of220 #Catholic

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