“Do not be afraid; remain united with me always and in all circumstances” (Inner Word).
We know that the Lord often exhorts us not to be afraid. The supernatural world is often foreign to human beings, and it is not uncommon for us to be frightened by natural realities. In the context of the inner word on which we are meditating, it is appropriate to emphasize “not to be afraid at all”. Obviously, our Father wants an undivided trust on our part; a trust so great and strong that no circumstance, no matter how difficult, can frighten us.
If we look at the first sentence word by word, we will see that the Father is pointing the way to this fearlessness: it is His invitation to always remain united with Him. This means never losing sight of God. That requires interior vigilance, that is, not allowing ourselves to be so absorbed by the world with its distractions that our soul becomes too attached to it. Our Father, for His part, never loses sight of us. Therefore, we can learn from Him how to keep our hearts united to Him in all circumstances.
It is above all the bond of love that produces this unity, that great work of the Holy Spirit sent to us by the Father and the Son. If we pay attention to the guidance of the Holy Spirit and perceive it more and more keenly, we will be able to notice when we are too much attracted by the world, when we are pursuing useless things, when our thoughts are about to get lost in fantasies… Then we will always listen to His exhortation to lift our eyes to the Lord.
If we listen to Him, we will unite ourselves more deeply with our Father, we will live in His security and, consequently, we will be able to overcome more easily any fear that comes our way.