In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells his disciples, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid” (Matthew 14:27).
This verse is from the Gospel of Matthew, one of the three synoptic Gospels in the New Testament of the Bible.
According to the Christian website Overviewbible.com, not much is known about St. Matthew, the author of the Gospel of Matthew.
The website states that when Matthew was chosen by Jesus to be one of his disciples, he was working as a publican, or tax collector, which was a despised profession at the time.
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The same source mentions that despite being one of the Gospel authors, Matthew is only mentioned seven times in the entire Bible.
Throughout the Bible, Jesus consistently reassures his disciples not to be afraid, according to Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, O.P., a Dominican friar based in Washington, D.C.
Fr. Patrick Mary Briscoe, O.P. based in Washington, D.C., says that courage must be practiced and is an invitation to fully submit to the will of God.
“Facing the depravity of our age, it can be tempting for Christians to console ourselves,” he told Fox News Digital.
Briscoe suggests that it may have been easier to be a disciple if one had seen Christ, heard his voice, and walked with him along the sea.
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However, throughout the New Testament, believers are urged repeatedly to not be afraid, indicating that being a disciple was not easy then and is not easy now.
By instructing his disciples to “take courage,” Jesus was inviting them to fully trust him, according to Briscoe.
Jesus can be seen telling his followers “Do not be afraid” throughout the Bible.
When facing adversity, our natural inclination might be to rely on our own strength and understanding, but Briscoe emphasizes the need to cast that aside as well.
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He points out that the challenges faced by the first disciples of Jesus were extremely difficult, and many of them met brutal deaths.
“All of the apostles died as martyrs, except for John,” Briscoe states, referring to venerable traditions.
Briscoe also mentions that he is a Dominican friar and that the Dominican Order was founded by St. Dominic in the 13th century, known as the “Order of Preachers.”
According to tradition, St. Peter was crucified upside-down, while all the apostles, except for John, were martyred.
In addition to St. Dominic, other notable Dominicans include St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Albertus Magnus, and St. Rose of Lima.
“For Thomas Aquinas, the renowned medieval Dominican theologian, courage is
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