(1 John 4:18) There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

(Psalm 91:14-16) "Because he loves me," says the Lord, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation."

(2 Timothy 4:18) The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

(Psalm 91:5-7) You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.

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In truth, says St. Gregory, "he who does not rest in Christ, wanders like a vagabond. For if the quiet, gentle spirit of Christ does not fill him, he will lapse into all kinds of imaginings and worldly affections. But if he receives the Spirit of Christ, this will bring him to collect himself in such a way that he will be untroubled by the things of this world."

Our journey toward union with God involves an exchange of our stressed, worldly life drawing its sustenance primarily through "multiple actions" in this material world for a Peaceful Communal Life drawing its sustenance primarily through "one action": contemplative participation in God's Love, the Life of Abundance found within the Holy Trintiy.

The Catholic transformed in Jesus Christ lives, as Christ did, in two worlds, the natural and the divine. He actually experiences these two worlds on an ongoing basis. It is not just spiritual rhetoric. He experiences the essence of his life lovingly secure within the Infinite Love of the Trinity, wherein he lives St Paul's declaration that nothing can separate us from the love of God: neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.(Romans 8:38). Now this supernatural level becomes the center of his life and the center from which he receives abiding happiness in the present life.

Simultaneously, he is alive to the vagaries of the created world. He sees the essential goodness of all of creation as it reflects the mysteries of the Creator. He also sees the evil at work in the world through Original Sin in himself, and in the lives of human beings. He is well aware of the Wisdom of Revelation as it commands us to live and seek the Goodness of the Eternal God, rather than the fluctuating life comprised of good and evil in this world of change, ever passing away. And since he has rejected worldliness and chosen to live with his center in God, his happiness is secure, and he is able to retain it in spite of the terrible ups and downs of life in the world.

From Psalm 103

"...Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. 14: For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. 15: As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. 16: For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more. 17: But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children; 18: To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them. 19: The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all. 20: Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. 21: Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. 22: Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul. "

At the same time, one who is faithful knows that the "lukewarm" will never know happiness, no matter how successful they seem in the eyes of the world. For the happiness of God, as Christ has said, is only available to those who "violently" seize it. That means that it is only available to those who take God seriously, seeking Him before all else through violence to their pride, selfish attachments, and worldly lifestyle, all of which keep them, and their natural life in this world, in first place, without God. It is the violence of profound trust and humility, rather than personal efforts at radical asceticism, a state of soul wherein God is able to work in us, through prayer, to do the major work connected with the removal of our selfish ambitions and lifestyle. It is for those who reject mortal sin, practice virtue, and have set aside time for personal prayer each day, desiring to fully comply with His First Commandment which requires us to : "Love the Lord God with Thy Whole Heart, Whole Mind, Whole Soul, and Whole Self."

However, there are fears that sometimes arise in connection with repressed memories that seem to spontaneously surface in consciousness due to the practice of meditation and contemplation. There are natural techniques we can employ to control such fears when, at certain times, they seem to be dominating us in spite of our best efforts. The technique involves controlling our "attention." These unwanted memories sometimes capture our attention when we least expect it and take our attention through a rapid chain of related thoughts that fill us with dread. To stop the fearful process, we must break the memory chain, and retake control of our attention by fixing it in the present, on some activity before us, and refusing it permission to attend to memories, or to leave the present. We might even attend to a picture of Jesus or a religious object. The method involves a gently pressure on our attention as we use it to look at the sensible characteristics of the thing or activity before us, keeping our attention in "the present." Then, each time it tries to drift back into past, unwanted memories, we, through gentle force, bring it back to the present, attending to the details and characteristics of some object or activity. And after the negative spell of unwanted memories has passed, we can return to our normal recollection connected with "the Jesus Prayer." And these fears should not upset us because the surfacing of unwanted memories from our past, from time to time, is a normal occurance for many who practice meditation and prayer.

Generally speaking, it is well to remember that If we live our life mechanically, following each urge as it arises, our life will soon be out of control, the plaything of other's whims. Like a cat chasing a ball on a string, pulled by another, we will live as a victim of circumstances. One day we'll be up and the next day we'll be down, depending on our current fortunes. And our life will hold hidden terrors as we experience accelerating change in a post-modern world that has no sympathy for our human weakness, or unplanned sickness, setbacks, deaths of loved ones, betrayals, disasters, divorce, job-loss, accidents, failures, financial losses, and upsets beyond our control.

For when you live in the external events that surround your life, existential anxiety will become your bosom friend. Fear will rise with you in the morning, walk with you throughout the day, and arouse you from sleep at night. Who or what can you trust in an unsafe world, in which external events portend disaster of world-class proportions, and in which people seem to forever let you down? And if, for a while, you seem to be winning, and victorious over life's unpredictable changes, your victory will soon prove to be short lived. For change is the essence of life. And the ultimate change, defeat through death, is the fearful lot of every human being who draws breath in the world.

Moreover, the power of evil frequently seizes upon fear associatred with natural circumstances, events, and people in one's life and raises it to preternatural levels all out of proportion to the reality itself. The immediate remedy to such terror is the repetition of the Name of Jesus, over and over, until it subsides. Beyond that, one should remember that it is difficult for evil to attack one who constantly has the Name of Jesus in his mind and on his lips. Through the practice of "spiritual recollecton" connected with the Name and Presence of the Holy Lamb of God, we conquer evil and drive it from our presence. So circumstances sometimes create a very bleak picture. Why would anyone want a life lived in so much uncertainty and potential for suffering. And yet, seemingly with no choice, you go on, doing the best you can with your uncertain lot in life. Then, just when the fear and drudgery of life are momentarily under control, terrorists strike the world's tallest buildings, and murder several thousand innocent people, to remind you once again of the fearful world you live in.

And you find suddenly, that with all your other fears and uncertainties, you now live a life filled with "terror alerts," and threats of "biological nightmares." For no one knows what new brand of horror will be unleashed on society from one moment to the next. And then, to put the final touch on this nightmare scenario, you look at the newspaper and see that organized religion is in crisis and seems to be undergoing the same ups and downs and personal disasters infecting everyone else in the world. And you ask yourself, "Is there some lesson here? Is God trying to tell us something? Why is the world, and all its security falling apart?"

The message God is sending to the post-modern world is the same one He sent through the Prophets from the beginning, and one that has become more and more urgent for today's world: "We are looking for security in the wrong place. Our security is in Almighty God, Alone; it was never meant to lie in a world that is passing away." The problems of life are not in the world, they're in us! It is the First Commandment over and over again. The center of our love, the center of our deepest concern, the center of our real existence should not be in the spirit of the world, it should be in the Holy Spirit of God! We work, we raise families, we undertake activities to sustain our bodies, and we do things in this world. However, even though we are in it, we are not "of" it. What are we "of" then? We are of God! We are children of the Living God, we are eternal, spiritual beings who will inherit an incorruptible, eternal body to enhance our joy at the end of the ages. Just as assuredly as we live now, we shall continue to live forever!

Not being "of" this world means that our consciousness is not meant to "dwell" on the external events surrounding our bodily and mundane lives. Although we must attend properly to our duty, our consciousness is not meant to reduce our life to the level of this world's current disasters, bad news, and dire events. Our life has a much nobler purpose than this. We most completely fulfill our reason for being when we dwell "within our spirit," with the One for Whom we were created. The substance of our consciousness must ever remain here!...in conversation with the Son and Our Loving Father. For God's Holy Spirit is the real "Soul-Mate" for which we are ever hankering, and the "Nostalgic Lover," Who Marries our soul in a Nuptial Union that is Complete and Supreme Happiness.

And this relationship with our Divine Soul-Mate takes precedence over all human relationships, even a human marriage. For the love of a human husband and wife reaches a higher level of perfection to the extent it flows from the Supernatural Union of each spouse with the Self-Giving Love of the Divine Spouse, and the True Soul-Mate of everyone who comes into the world. Then the partners advance from a natural marriage of two in one flesh to a Supernatural Marriage, in which the two in one flesh become two in One Spirit, as well.

And Union with this Spirit's Powerful Love is "Peace," beyond understanding! So when we dwell "within," we are acknowledging our personal commitment to the First Commandment in order to: "Love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, thy whole soul, thy whole mind, and thy whole self!" And this inward connection with Him, with Jesus Christ, remains our spiritual anchor amidst all the vagaries and upsets of life's good times and bad. For as we see in the Gospels:

"He answered them and said, 'The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.'(KJV)(Luke 17:20-21)

That is our permanent dwelling: "The kingdom of God!" And our life with God begins "within," and "in this world"...or it doesn't begin at all. So when events in the world are upsetting..."Look within!" For St John of the Cross told us that "when we dwell on anything, we cease to dwell on God." Jesus and the Father and the Holy Spirit await you..."within!" So when the news is bad...return within!... and find strength! When pain and suffering strike unawares..."Return within!" When your soul has forgotten God, and darkness descends from the wasteland of television trash..."Return within!" There is your certainty. There is your anchor. There is your Peace.

And when love turns cold, and those around you hurt and ignore you, and fail to live up to their promise..."Look within!" For He will never fail you. All the Power of the Universe is available through the Love to which you have access..."within." So when your world falls apart, and the stars fall from the heavens, "Turn and look within, For Jesus still loves you; the Father cares about you; and the Holy Spirit will always comfort you!"

So the world of fear, which has become endemic to post-modern life, is teaching us that no matter how much we are attached to people, places, and events in this world, they cannot provide us with the ultimate happiness and security that we seek. That can only come from a different world, a world of spirit, which is "within" us. For God's Love and God's Security directly unites with ours in this spiritual dimension.

And, in like manner, the kingdom of God, and His Peace, will never be found in this, rather than that person, or in this, rather than that place, or in this, rather than that event occupying our attention "out there." And for this reason, we can all rejoice and abandon our superficial life based on a worldly attitude subject to never-ending fears. For the True Life and Peace of the Spirit is available to all men, at all times, and in all circumstances. And that includes our time, and all of us. For Christ said, "The kingdom of heaven is 'within' you!" And He also said, "Fear not!"...And... spoke to them, saying: "All power is given to me in heaven and in earth...behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world."(Matthew 28:10-18)

"Oh, taste and see!" they(the mystics) cry, in accents of astounding certainty and joy. "Ours is an experimental science. We can but communicate our system, never its result. We come to you not as thinkers, but as doers. (Coventry Patmore)

"In mysticism that love of truth which we saw as the beginning of all philosophy leaves the merely intellectual sphere, and takes on the assured aspect of a personal passion. Where the philosopher guesses and argues, the mystic lives and looks; and speaks, consequently, the disconcerting language of first-hand experience, not the neat dialectic of the schools. Hence whilst the Absolute of the metaphysicians remains a diagram--impersonal and unattainable--the Absolute of the mystics is lovable, attainable, alive.(Evelyn Underhill, "Mysticism")

. PSALMS
Chapter 91

You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
Say to the LORD, "My refuge and fortress, my God in whom I trust."
God will rescue you from the fowler's snare, from the destroying plague,
Will shelter you with pinions, spread wings that you may take refuge; God's faithfulness is a protecting shield.

You shall not fear the terror of the night nor the arrow that flies by day,
Nor the pestilence that roams in darkness, nor the plague that ravages at noon.
Though a thousand fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, near you it shall not come.
You need simply watch; the punishment of the wicked you will see.

You have the LORD for your refuge; you have made the Most High your stronghold.
No evil shall befall you, no affliction come near your tent.
For God commands the angels to guard you in all your ways.
With their hands they shall support you, lest you strike your foot against a stone.

You shall tread upon the asp and the viper, trample the lion and the dragon.
Whoever clings to me I will deliver; whoever knows my name I will set on high.
All who call upon me I will answer; I will be with them in distress; I will deliver them and give them honor.
With length of days I will satisfy them and show them my saving power.