Daily Catholic Lectio
Fri, 17 Oct ‘25
Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, Friday
Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch
Romans 4:1–8. Luke 12:1–7
Faith that Overcomes Fear
Today’s Gospel teaches us how to handle fear. Fear is not always negative. It is a neutral emotion — it can either protect or paralyze us. Positive fear helps us be cautious and responsible. For example, fear of an accident keeps us alert while crossing the road. Negative fear, however, traps us. A child afraid to speak in public may never discover his or her potential.
Jesus speaks of three kinds of fear in today’s Gospel — and shows us how faith alone can overcome them.
(a) Fear of the Evil Intentions of Others
Jesus warns, “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees.” Here, leaven stands for hypocrisy — it spreads silently, corrupting what seems good. Just as a small amount of yeast can affect an entire batch of dough, hidden evil can influence hearts and communities.
Sometimes we fear others’ hidden motives — their jealousy, gossip, or deceit. Such fear steals our peace and fills us with suspicion.
How can we overcome this fear? By being spiritually alert, but not suspicious. Faith does not mean blindness; it means confidence that God’s light will expose every darkness.
When we walk in truth and integrity, no hidden malice can harm us. Faith teaches us that goodness is stronger than evil, and light always overcomes deceit.
(b) Fear of Secrets Being Exposed
Another fear we carry is the fear that our weaknesses or mistakes will be known to others. When our faults are hidden, we feel secure; but when exposed, we feel vulnerable.
Jesus says, “Nothing is hidden that will not be revealed.” In a world of social media and surveillance, true secrecy hardly exists. But Jesus does not say this to frighten us — He says it to free us. The only way to live without fear of exposure is to live a transparent life. Let there be no contradiction between our inner life and our outer actions. When what we are inside matches what we show outside, we have nothing to fear. Faith gives us this freedom — to live honestly before God and people.
(c) Fear of Being Undervalued
Jesus speaks of the sparrows: “Are not five sparrows sold for two coins? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.” The fifth sparrow — the free one, the unwanted one — is also remembered by God. If even that small, neglected bird matters to the Creator, how much more valuable are we! Most of our fears come from feeling unworthy or insignificant — fear of rejection, failure, or loss of respect. Faith teaches us that our worth does not depend on human opinion, but on God’s love. When we truly know whose we are, we stop fearing who we are not. Faith says, “I am more precious than sparrows, and my life is held in God’s hands.”
Faith Replaces Fear
In the first reading, St. Paul recalls how Abraham became righteous — not by his deeds, but by his faith. Abraham faced countless reasons to be afraid: uncertainty, old age, impossibility. Yet he believed that God was faithful. His faith gave him courage. Faith, then, is not the absence of fear; it is the strength to trust even when fear whispers loudly. It turns anxiety into peace, suspicion into trust, and self-doubt into confidence in God’s providence.
The Courage of St. Ignatius of Antioch
Today we remember St. Ignatius of Antioch, who faced persecution and death with unshakable courage. As he was led to the lions, he said, “Let me be the wheat of God, ground by the teeth of beasts, that I may become the pure bread of Christ.” He had no fear — because his faith was complete. He knew that life and death alike belong to God. Faith eliminates fear not by denying danger, but by placing everything — life, death, and all in between — in the hands of a loving Father. When faith fills our hearts, fear loses its power. Then, like the sparrow that flies freely under God’s gaze, we too will soar — light, fearless, and free in the love of Christ.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
Missionary of Mercy
Yesu Karunanidhi 
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