353rd Meditation
“I am your consoler. Why then should you be afraid of mortal human beings, of a child of man, whose fate is that of the grass?” (Is 51:12).
Our Father invites us to focus all our attention on Him, becoming aware of His presence again and again. Our forgetfulness and carelessness cause us, in certain situations of life, not to think of Him. So it happens that we easily let circumstances determine us, and even dominate us.
One of man’s problems is fear of people. It intimidates us and, once we have fallen prey to it, it becomes a kind of idol that rules over our lives.
The Lord’s words through the Prophet Isaiah counter this fear of people and remind us of the reality: “I am your consoler”. Everything is under His loving lordship and, come what may, nothing escapes His dominion. We need only bring this reality to mind and place our trust in the Lord. This applies especially when difficulties come upon us and threaten us, whether real or supposed.
Above all, we must put it into practice when we are afraid of human beings. Indeed, this fear can grow into a huge and seemingly insurmountable mountain. But our Father reminds us of a simple truth: that mortals have limits and are transient like grass. We must never allow a person to gain dominance over us because of our fear of them.
The remembrance of our Father will help us as He puts everything back in its place, and His consolation will strengthen us.