Reflection 126: Filial Fear – The Good Fear

Do you have fear in your life? It’s important to know that some fear is quite unhealthy, stemming from a form of pride, while another form of fear is quite healthy, resulting from your profound love of God. The “holy fear” is filial fear, which is the fear of a child of God. This particular form of fear is present when your love of God is so deep that you fear doing anything that would harm your relationship with Him. It’s not that you are afraid of God, rather, you have a holy desire to avoid all sin. This form of holy fear must also enter into every relationship of love you have for others. You should deeply desire to avoid all that harms each and every relationship you have been blessed to receive. This is a gift of God’s abundant Mercy (See Diary #610).

Consider your love of God. Is it strong enough to produce the healthy desire in your heart to avoid all that might hurt that relationship? This holy fear must become a driving force to develop a profoundly personal relationship with our Lord. Consider, also, your relationship with others. Do you have a healthy desire to eliminate anything that is an obstacle to your wholehearted love of them? Seek this gift of God’s Mercy and the Lord will draw you closer to Himself and to others.

Lord, I do love You and I desire to surrender to You everything in my life that keeps me from loving You with my whole heart. Give me a holy fear so that I may draw closer to You and learn to love others as You love them. Jesus, I trust in You.

Image: Saint Catherine of Alexandria at Prayer By Titian

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