Dear Saints,

I’ve written before that humans are hard-wired to serve. Even very young children tend to yield their wants to others’ needs. But there’s a difference between serving and pleasing. The former is born of love, while the latter is often the product of fear: of being criticized, disliked, or even shunned.

It's a powerful anxiety and will dominate our decisions if we let it. We become as worried about disappointing others as we are about disserving them. Actions, speech, and even thoughts become distorted in an endless effort to people-please.

And that's when we would do well to think on Jesus's question: "Why are you terrified?" Because once we remember that we worship a God whom even wind and sea obey, and that he loves us exactly as we are, the power of others' opinions begins to fade. No longer slaves to our neighbors' high esteem, we can start to serve them for their sakes. Whether we’re praised or criticized, liked or disliked, still we live to love them, and that’s all that matters. Old fears pass away, and we are impelled by one thing alone: the love of Christ.

Christ’s Peace,

Father Daniel

δοῦλος Χριστοῦ Ἰησοῦ