Dear Parishioners and Friends,
The first gift of the Holy Spirit on which I would like to
reflect is the fear of the Lord.
First of all, “fear” of the Lord does not mean that we are
scared of God. It means that we are deeply aware that God is all-powerful and
holy and that he does not tolerate sin. With this gift we know God to be beyond
our understanding but also, amazingly, he is near to us as our Father. Probably
one of the best ways to think of this gift is to consider it as the “awe” or
“reverence” we have for the Lord. As the Bible says, “Happy the man who fears
the Lord, who greatly delights in His commands” (Psalm 112:1) and “the beginning
of wisdom is fear of the Lord” (Sirach 1:12).
The fear of the Lord guides us to find ways to be good sons
and daughters of God. We want to please Him by our holy lives which reflect His
holiness. Therefore, we are helped by this gift to avoid sin and any undue
attachment to things of this world out of our love for God. We make choices
which give God glory motivated not simply out of fear of punishment (purgatory
or hell) but out of the love that governs our relationship with Him. Just as we
fear hurting someone who loves us and that we love, so too we have a fear of
the Lord.
In Christ,
Msgr. Baker
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