Monday, February 13, 2017
2 Now Balak, son of Zippor, saw all that
Israel did to the Amorites, 3 and Moab feared the Israelites greatly because they were numerous. Moab was
in dread of the Israelites.
Fear is listed by many
theologians as the 8th deadly sin. God in making us a Holy people
wants us to be free of fear. Is it any wonder that people without faith are
plagued by fear? Fear Dominates Politics, Media and Human Existence in
America—And It’s Getting Worse according to Don Hazen.
“Fear is the mind-killer” – Frank Herbert, Dune
People cannot think clearly when they are afraid. As
numerous studies have shown, fear is the enemy of reason. It distorts
emotions and perceptions, and often leads to poor decisions. For people who
have suffered trauma, fear messages can sometimes trigger uncontrollable
flight-or-fight responses with dangerous ramifications.
Yet over time, many interlocking aspects of our society
have become increasingly sophisticated at communicating messages and
information that produce fear responses. Advertising, political ads, news
coverage and social media all send the constant message that people should be
afraid—very afraid.
In addition, television and film are filled with extreme
violence and millions of fictional deaths, far out of proportion to what
happens in real life, as researchers have pointed out…All this, despite statistics
indicating that in most parts of the country, the crime rate is actually
on the decline.
Fear is so pervasive that experts have made the case we
live in a generalized “culture of fear,” also the name of a book by Barry
Glassner which underscores the fact that we often fear the wrong things, and
incredibly out of proportion to reality. Statistics show you have a much higher
chance of being killed by lightning than by a terrorist.[1]
St. Catherine de Ricci[2]
The Canticle is chanted in some Dominican monasteries on the Fridays of Lent.
Prayer
V. Have mercy on us, O benign Jesus. R. Who in Thy clemency didst suffer for us.
Look down, we beseech Thee, O Lord, on this Thy family for which Our Lord Jesus Christ did not hesitate to be delivered into
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