A week into the World Cup, dreams are already being made and broken.
Some nations are beginning to believe.
Others are already facing disappointment.
Players who were unknown a fortnight ago have become household names.
Others have discovered how quickly glory can disappear.
One good performance and you are a hero.
One mistake and the criticism begins.
Sport can be exhilarating, but it is also a reminder of something very human: we all like to be on the winning side.
We like success.
We like approval.
We like belonging.
We like being associated with those who are admired.
What we do not like is rejection.
We do not like standing alone.
We do not like being criticised.
We do not like being different from everyone else.
And that is why today’s Gospel is so important.
Three times Jesus says:
“Do not be afraid.”
Not once.
Not twice.
Three times.
Because He knows that fear is one of the greatest obstacles to discipleship.
He knows His followers will be tempted to keep quiet.
He knows they will sometimes be tempted to hide their faith.
He knows they will fear what other people think.
And so He says:
“Do not be afraid.”
The first reading shows us exactly what that fear can look like.
Jeremiah has done everything God asked of him.
He has spoken the truth.
He has preached God’s message.
He has remained faithful.
And what has it brought him?
Mockery.
Opposition.
Loneliness.
He says:
“All those who used to be my friends watched for my downfall.”
What a painful sentence.
Not enemies.
Friends.
People he trusted.
People he knew.
People who now want to see him fail.
Many Christians know something of that experience.
Perhaps not dramatic persecution.
But ridicule.
Embarrassment.
Being made to feel foolish for believing.
Being told that Christian teaching is old-fashioned.
Being told that faith is a private matter.
Being treated as though the Gospel belongs to another age.
And because of this, many Catholics have become hesitant.
Quiet.
Reluctant to speak openly about what they believe.
Yet Jeremiah does not give up.
Why?
Because he knows something more important than the opinion of the crowd.
He says:
“The Lord is at my side, a mighty hero.”
Jeremiah’s confidence comes not from himself but from God.
He knows he is not standing alone.
The same is true for us.
Jesus tells His disciples:
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.”
In other words:
Do not let temporary fears make you forget eternal realities.
Do not worry so much about human approval that you forget God’s approval.
Do not become so concerned about fitting in that you stop following Christ.
Then Jesus gives one of the most beautiful images in all the Gospels.
“Can you not buy two sparrows for a penny? And yet not one falls to the ground without your Father knowing.”
A sparrow was one of the cheapest things imaginable.
Almost worthless in the eyes of the world.
Yet God notices every one.
Not one is forgotten.
Not one escapes His care.
And then Jesus says:
“You are worth more than hundreds of sparrows.”
Think about that.
The God who created the stars.
The God who created the oceans.
The God who created every galaxy in the universe.
Knows you.
Loves you.
Cares for you.
Jesus even says that every hair on your head has been counted.
That is His way of saying that nothing about you escapes God’s attention.
Your worries.
Your fears.
Your struggles.
Your hopes.
Your disappointments.
Your prayers.
Your family.
Your future.
God knows them all.
And that brings us to St Paul.
In the second reading he reminds us why God’s love is so extraordinary.
Humanity turned away from God.
Sin entered the world.
Death entered the world.
The human race wounded itself.
Yet God did not abandon us.
Instead, He sent His Son.
And St Paul tells us that Christ’s gift is greater than Adam’s failure.
What sin damaged, grace restores.
What humanity lost, Christ recovers.
What death claimed, Christ conquers.
That is one of the most important truths in the whole Christian faith.
God’s mercy is greater than your sin.
God’s grace is greater than your weakness.
God’s love is greater than your failures.
Many people spend their lives believing the opposite.
They think:
“I’ve made too many mistakes.”
“I’ve gone too far.”
“I’m not good enough.”
“I’ll never change.”
The Cross says otherwise.
The Cross is God’s declaration that nobody is beyond redemption.
Nobody.
That is why Christians can live without fear.
Not because life is easy.
Not because suffering disappears.
Not because problems magically vanish.
But because Christ has already won the decisive victory.
The greatest enemy—death itself—has been defeated.
And yet Jesus leaves us with a challenge.
“If anyone declares himself for me in the presence of men, I will declare myself for him in the presence of my Father in heaven.”
Faith cannot remain hidden forever.
Sooner or later every disciple must decide:
Am I willing to be known as a follower of Jesus Christ?
Not only inside this church.
Not only among fellow Catholics.
But at work.
At school.
Among friends.
Among family.
In everyday life.
That does not mean being argumentative.
It does not mean forcing religion on others.
It means living openly as a Christian.
Praying.
Coming to Mass faithfully.
Speaking naturally about the faith.
Defending the truth with charity.
Refusing to be ashamed of Christ.
Our culture encourages people to display almost every aspect of their identity publicly—except their faith.
Yet if Jesus truly rose from the dead, if He truly conquered sin and death, if He truly loves us more than we can imagine, why would we hide Him?
Why would we be embarrassed by the greatest truth we have ever received?
A week into the World Cup, some teams are rising and some are falling.
The heroes of today may be forgotten tomorrow.
The excitement will pass.
The tournament will end.
The trophy will eventually gather dust.
But the choice Jesus places before us today is far greater than any sporting contest.
It is the choice between fear and faith.
Between seeking the approval of the crowd and seeking the approval of God.
Three times Jesus says:
“Do not be afraid.”
Do not be afraid of opposition.
Do not be afraid of ridicule.
Do not be afraid of standing out.
Do not be afraid of following Christ.
Because the God who knows every sparrow knows you.
The God who counts every hair on your head loves you.
The God who raised Jesus from the dead walks beside you.
And the God who gave His Son for your salvation will never abandon those who trust in Him.
So let us ask for the courage of Jeremiah, the confidence of St Paul, and the faith of the saints.
And when the moment comes to choose between fear and faith, may we hear once more the words of Christ:
“Do not be afraid.”
St. Mary's, St. John Bosco and St. Edward's 