Today's first reading from Sirach 2 is so filled with wisdom it would behoove us to read it again and again. It speaks again and again of fear of the LORD. In fact, it addresses four times "You who fear the LORD."
This begs the question, what is Fear of the Lord? To help, I'm including the chapter from A Minute in the Church: Back to the Basics on Fear of the Lord, which is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Fear of the Lord
The seventh gift of the Holy Spirit, fear of the Lord, may be the most misunderstood of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. This is because most people associate the word “fear” with being frightened or afraid. Thus, they think we’re supposed to be afraid of or frightened by God. That’s not what the gift of the Holy Spirit is about.
Fear of the Lord is a sense of awe and wonder in regard to God. It gives us a greater realization that God is all-powerful. This gift gives a desire to not offend God, not because of our fear of punishment, but because of our great love for him. Just as with Piety, fear of the Lord springs from love.
Unfortunately, this gift seems to be sorely lacking in the world today. With advances in science and technology, many people are no longer awed by the mighty hand of God. And it sometimes seems as though reverence has all but disappeared. As Catholics, we must always pray for the gift of fear of the Lord, especially in regard to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. We should be dumbstruck with awe and wonder every time we go to Mass.
Father, may we be filled with fear of the Lord, always struck with awe and wonder at your mighty power and love. Amen.
A Minute in the Church: Back to the Basics will help you understand so much about our faith! Order copies for yourself, your friends and your parish at www.GusLloyd.com today.
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