“Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance”
One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is fear of the Lord. It is typically listed as the last of the gifts, but is the “first in the rising scale of value.” [1] In the first reading, we hear Isaiah announcing the gifts, which the Lord, in the Holy Spirit, would bring. [2] Fear of the Lord can be misunderstood especially in today’s world. However, once understood and embraced, it will become an invaluable gift that God gives each and everyone of us.
What is the gift Fear of the Lord? - “The gift of Fear of the Lord is the presence of a healthy fear or awe of God’s Power, majesty, and justice. It is the understanding of the greatness of God and all he is and all that he deserves from us. [3] This gift is infused within us. [4]
Does fear of the Lord mean I should be afraid of God? No not all. In fact, this fear is filial not servile. Servile fear causes us to dread the punishment from God for what we have done, whereas filial is the fear of losing the love we receive from the Lord. Fear and Love are two emotions that guide much of our lives. “We must hate sin above all other evils, so as to be resolved never to commit a willful sin, for the love or fear of anything whatsoever.” [5]
We sin if we fear something more than we fear God. What is an example of fearing something more than God? I fear death and so when asked to deny Christ or die, I deny Christ. I fear losing friends and so when my friends say they will leave if I continue to strive for a holy lifestyle, I give up on my call to holiness. We sin if we love something more than we love God.
What is an example of loving something more than God? I love to be in control of my life and love not having to be told what to do, so I refuse to be obedient to Christ and His Church. I love to run from my problems by “feeling good” and escape reality by seeking things that captivate my senses, so I refuse to turn to God, the Sacraments, and prayer in times of trouble. In these examples, we see how we can choose our own will and desires over and above God’s Will. Now, when we fear the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, we are motivated by the love of God whom we are afraid of losing. [6] Fear is driven away by love and love is perfected in Christ. Saint John says in his letter, “There is not fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love.” [7]
Three Elements to this gift [8]:
(1) It gives a vivid sense of God’s greatness; a deep sorrow for the least faults committed, and gives us the drive to avoid occasions of sin.
(2) It is expressed in the Psalm “My whole being trembles before you, your ruling fills me with fear” [9]
(3) It gives a spirit of deep humility in dealing with others, especially those that are inferior to us, because it makes us aware that we stand before the judgment of God and how we treat them.
What else does it do for me? By loving God more and fearing that loss of love, the gift also drives out our lesser fears. By living the Christian life, the gift of fear of the Lord helps us realize charity casts out fear. God’s love becomes so intense for us that it dominates all of our priorities. In Scripture we find that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." [10] This gift of the Holy Spirit is the beginning of true wisdom because our love for God and fear of offending Him causes us to submit our lives to Him in all things.
How does fear of the Lord relate to the Gospel reading? In the Gospel, John rebukes the Pharisees and the Sadducees because they do not have the gift of the fear of the Lord. If they did, then they would not have counted on their status as children of Abraham as being enough to merit God’s love. The fear of losing God’s love would have initiated the repentance in them that causes good works. John the Baptist, on the other hand, perfectly exhibits the gift of fear of the Lord. He knew the greatness of the Lord, which gave him the great humility to say, “I am not worthy to carry his sandals.” [11] He understood the power of the Lord as made evident by his comments on the gathering the wheat but burning the chaff. [12] Finally, “Thanks to fear of the Lord there is no fear of the evil that rages in history and one takes up again with vigor the journey of life, as the prophet Isaiah declared: ‘Strengthen the hands that are feeble, make firm the knees that are weak, say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not!' (Isaiah 35:3-4).” [13]