Our Fears

"One of the unavoidable problems of the emotional and spiritual life is fear, a passion that is fundamental and, in many cases, very difficult one to handle. We are not referring to all fear; there are fears that are good, healthy, and necessary for our nature. Fear in the face of a real danger is a spontaneous and healthy reaction; our natural survival instincts work through it. The lack of fear, that is, "fearlessness," is therefore either a symptom of illness or a vice. Although it is true that such a lack is not very common, such affective distortion can occur to a certain degree; as children we have read the well-known tale of the Grimm brothers of the "man who did not know what fear was." In part, it is present in those who take risks, whom Sacred Scripture reminds: "He who loves danger will perish in it" (Sir 3:26). Later we will deal with uncontrolled or simply exaggerated fear, which is a great problem that often has serious spiritual and psychological consequences"--