“It seems to me, Sancho, that you are very afraid,” said Don Quixote. “Indeed, I am,” replied Sancho, “but how do you notice it now more than ever?” “Because now more than ever you smell, and not of amber,” replied Don Quixote. “That may well be,” said Sancho, “but it is not my fault, rather yours, for bringing me out at odd hours and along these unfamiliar paths.” “The fear you feel,” said Don Quixote, “makes you, Sancho, neither see nor hear correctly; for one of the effects of fear is to disturb the senses and make things appear different from what they are.” (Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, Don Quixote).
Fear is a passion that should protect us from danger, and when it is properly ordered it is a good thing for us. However, this passion, like all passions, can become disordered and thus give rise to disordered fears, such as spiritual fears: fear of a vocation, fear of holiness, fear of growing in virtue, fear of the cross. Fear, as Don Quixote says, makes things appear different from what they are, makes the cross and holiness appear as something bad rather than a blessing.
Fear should not exist among Christians. For Christians, God exists, so what harm can come to a Christian who has God on their side? Those who have faith in God’s Providence cannot be afraid, because they know that all things work for good for those who love God (Rm. 8:28).
Fear arises from love, and more specifically, from the fear of losing what we love. This is why Saint Thomas says that “love is the cause of fear.” I fear losing my life because I love my life. I fear falling ill because I love being healthy. I fear sinning because I love God. As I mentioned earlier, not all fears are bad. Fear can be good or bad, since all the passions or desires that God has given human nature are good insofar as they are ordered, and bad when they become disordered.
There are many ways that people confront their fears, such as denying their reality, fleeing from them to avoid facing them (as happens in the world, where people seek to stay constantly busy to avoid thinking about life and its destiny), burying the fears (like those who say, “I’d rather not even think about it”); etc. However, the only true solution to these fears is trust in God.
Two exercises are particularly useful to help with this. First, we should become aware of the things we fear and see them as surmountable, since God never asks us something that exceeds our strength. Along with the trial, He gives us the necessary grace to overcome it, and even more.
Second, since the ultimate cause of fear, as we said, is love, then if we fear losing something, we must realize that what we fear losing is not God and, consequently, is not essential for us. Even more, if we lose it for the love of God, it helps us attain the one thing that is truly essential: God.
