Pope John Paul II, the successor of Peter, carries on the Christian challenge to courage in a remarkable way. He told Peter, as leader of the nascent church, that he had to be the rock of courage, inspiring fortitude in his brothers.

Over and again He challenged His apostles to overcome fear in the face of physical danger (e.g., the storms on the sea), or in the face of spiritual trial (e.g., public ridicule in evangelizing). The angel Gabriel, sent to announce the Incarnation 2,000 years ago, exhorted Elizabeth and Zachary, then Mary and Joseph: 'Don't be afraid.' The fearless witness of John the Baptist, Jesus' cousin and herald, dramatically set the tone of Christian courage, in his words and deeds, in his life and in his death.įrom the outset of His public life, Jesus constantly challenged people to courage, whether He was addressing large audiences or dealing with an individual person suffering from a physical, emotional, or spiritual disability.

At the heart of Jesus' message is His call to courage, a theme that dominates from the opening overture of the Christian era.

Fearful brave church