Rise! Do Not Fear!
by Dominic Dimapawi
August 6, 2017
August 6, 2017
Today we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord!
Rise. Do not fear!
One of the best ways to know a person is to know what are the things he or she is devoted to. Does he play the piano six hours a day? Does he read books and write prose daily? Does he hang out with friends most of the time? Does he keep his word and take responsibility for his actions? Does he act upon his faith other than simply praying? Is he a loyal person?
Eric Felten, a writer who authored the book Loyalty: The Vexing Virtue, said that the act of devoting oneself to someone, something, or some belief can work in our favor or against us. Undeniably, our loyalties can't help but get tangled up in each other. Sometimes they form nets that save you when you fall. Other times they conflict with each other and get tied up together, becoming impossible to untangle, thus, we are placed in the dilemma of which to prioritize first; hoping we would not hurt anyone in the process. We have to admit, it’s usually frustrating to pick between two or more things, like studying and hanging out with friends, or a conflicting schedule between your childhood friends and your friends now. All because we struggle to gauge which is more valid, important, and safe. I mean, we would pick study time over rest whenever hell week comes. We would work day and night, fusing our blood with the procrastinator spirit and artificial energy sources, in other words, coffee, and energy drinks.
We are often placed in difficult spots because of what we are loyal to, whether it is with your family, society, career, or yourself. And with all the difficulties one could go through because of loyalty, we have, in one way or another, banked on the idea that if I care less, I’ll be happier; that I shouldn’t get emotionally attached to a character when the synopsis of the story says “A tragic story of two friends…” but then we end up getting attached and hurt. So the next time you entertain yourself with a good story, you numb yourself to what could happen. But does it make you happier? I personally think not.
Reality Check: We are bound to get hurt. We are bound to be scared. We are bound to say the wrong things. We are bound to make mistakes and be failures. We are possibly bound to be someone we don’t want to be; someone we didn’t think we’ll become. And that’s all right.
As long as you have faith in yourself that, through the hurling tempests of your internal struggles and the overwhelming environment of the physical world, you’ll be okay and grow stronger. Life doesn’t end when your train derails from the tracks you want or when you have fallen deeper than you have ever fallen before. It’ll be difficult, no doubt, but when you can’t seem to see anything and you are frail and weary, rest then, as God said, rise, do not be afraid to open your eyes and see the light. A little faith can go a long way. It is like this little flame that could give life to incredible fireworks. Learn to love yourself and from there learn to love others. Always carry in your heart this determination to be better and that someone is loyal to you. That person is God.
He’ll aid you in your trials. He will carry you when you struggle to fill in the gaps you wish to get over. You may lose your faith in so many things, even yourself, but know that God always has faith in you. So fear, fear freely. Worry about things and acknowledge your frustrations. Only then could you rise above them, for knowing the problem is the first step in solving it. The Gospel today says that “Jesus came and touched them [disciples], saying, "Rise, and do not be afraid." And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone.” This, in one perspective, says that when we rise above fear, we see the greatness life has to offer. And that God has always been there to help you see this.
Again, rise! Do not fear! Love and realize there is so much more in stored for you. So don’t worry, don’t rush. Life is not a race; it is a journey you travel at your own pace.
Rise. Do not fear!
One of the best ways to know a person is to know what are the things he or she is devoted to. Does he play the piano six hours a day? Does he read books and write prose daily? Does he hang out with friends most of the time? Does he keep his word and take responsibility for his actions? Does he act upon his faith other than simply praying? Is he a loyal person?
Eric Felten, a writer who authored the book Loyalty: The Vexing Virtue, said that the act of devoting oneself to someone, something, or some belief can work in our favor or against us. Undeniably, our loyalties can't help but get tangled up in each other. Sometimes they form nets that save you when you fall. Other times they conflict with each other and get tied up together, becoming impossible to untangle, thus, we are placed in the dilemma of which to prioritize first; hoping we would not hurt anyone in the process. We have to admit, it’s usually frustrating to pick between two or more things, like studying and hanging out with friends, or a conflicting schedule between your childhood friends and your friends now. All because we struggle to gauge which is more valid, important, and safe. I mean, we would pick study time over rest whenever hell week comes. We would work day and night, fusing our blood with the procrastinator spirit and artificial energy sources, in other words, coffee, and energy drinks.
We are often placed in difficult spots because of what we are loyal to, whether it is with your family, society, career, or yourself. And with all the difficulties one could go through because of loyalty, we have, in one way or another, banked on the idea that if I care less, I’ll be happier; that I shouldn’t get emotionally attached to a character when the synopsis of the story says “A tragic story of two friends…” but then we end up getting attached and hurt. So the next time you entertain yourself with a good story, you numb yourself to what could happen. But does it make you happier? I personally think not.
Reality Check: We are bound to get hurt. We are bound to be scared. We are bound to say the wrong things. We are bound to make mistakes and be failures. We are possibly bound to be someone we don’t want to be; someone we didn’t think we’ll become. And that’s all right.
As long as you have faith in yourself that, through the hurling tempests of your internal struggles and the overwhelming environment of the physical world, you’ll be okay and grow stronger. Life doesn’t end when your train derails from the tracks you want or when you have fallen deeper than you have ever fallen before. It’ll be difficult, no doubt, but when you can’t seem to see anything and you are frail and weary, rest then, as God said, rise, do not be afraid to open your eyes and see the light. A little faith can go a long way. It is like this little flame that could give life to incredible fireworks. Learn to love yourself and from there learn to love others. Always carry in your heart this determination to be better and that someone is loyal to you. That person is God.
He’ll aid you in your trials. He will carry you when you struggle to fill in the gaps you wish to get over. You may lose your faith in so many things, even yourself, but know that God always has faith in you. So fear, fear freely. Worry about things and acknowledge your frustrations. Only then could you rise above them, for knowing the problem is the first step in solving it. The Gospel today says that “Jesus came and touched them [disciples], saying, "Rise, and do not be afraid." And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone.” This, in one perspective, says that when we rise above fear, we see the greatness life has to offer. And that God has always been there to help you see this.
Again, rise! Do not fear! Love and realize there is so much more in stored for you. So don’t worry, don’t rush. Life is not a race; it is a journey you travel at your own pace.