Fear Not 220

Beloved brethren, gathered here in this humble stone sanctuary, where the flickering light of oil lamps dances upon these ancient walls, let us turn our hearts to the sacred words of the Psalmist: 'Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed are those who take refuge in him.' (Psalm 34:8) Oh, my dear ones, in these shadowed times, when the world presses upon us with its trials and tempests, these words echo like a divine invitation from the heavens! Taste and see— not with the fleeting senses of the body, but with the profound depths of the soul. As our blessed father Augustine teaches in his expositions on the Psalms, this 'tasting' is no mere metaphor; it is the intimate encounter with the sweetness of God Himself. He writes that just as honey delights the palate, so does the Lord delight the heart that seeks Him, transforming bitterness into bliss. For Augustine, this verse calls us to experience God's goodness not in abstract thought, but in the living reality of faith, where the soul, wearied by sin, finds refreshment in divine grace. And hear the golden words of Chrysostom, that eloquent preacher of Antioch, who in his homilies reminds us that to 'taste' the Lord is to partake of His eternal banquet, foreshadowing the Eucharist, where bread and wine become the very Body and Blood of Christ. In the Catena Aurea, these fathers compile a chorus of wisdom: Basil the Great urges us to flee the vanities of the world and seek refuge in God alone, for He is the true harbor amid life's storms. Gregory of Nyssa speaks of this tasting as a ascent of the soul, climbing from earthly shadows to the light of divine knowledge, where we see—truly see—that the Lord is good, merciful, and ever-faithful. Beloved, consider the struggles of our daily pilgrimage. In this age of emperors and persecutions, of famines and fears, how often do we wander like sheep without a shepherd? The laborer toils under the sun, his back bent by burdens; the widow weeps in the night, her heart heavy with loss; the youth faces temptations that whisper of false freedoms. Yet, the Psalmist proclaims: blessed are those who take refuge in Him! Not in the might of armies, nor the wealth of merchants, nor the philosophies of the wise—but in the Lord, our rock and fortress. I beseech you, brothers and sisters, in the spirit of these early fathers: cast aside your doubts, your anxieties, your self-reliant schemes. Run to Him as to a loving Father! Taste His goodness in prayer, in the breaking of bread, in acts of charity that mirror His compassion. See His hand in the sunrise that banishes darkness, in the friend who offers solace, in the cross that redeems our sufferings. For as Jerome reflects, this refuge is not a distant castle but the very heart of God, where the blessed find eternal peace. Let us, then, with fervent hearts, embrace this call. Fear not the tempests of life, for in tasting His goodness, we discover unshakeable joy. Trust in Him, take refuge in His mercy, and be blessed beyond measure! Amen. #FearNot220 #FearNotUNPLUGGED #154of220 #Catholic