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What does a hole-in-one have to do with the Gospel? In this homily, Father Chas shares the story of a once-in-a-lifetime golf shot and uses it to illustrate a powerful spiritual lesson from Matthew 10. Just as fear and negative thinking can sabotage a golfer, fear can distract Christians from the mission Jesus has given them. Reflecting on Christ’s command to “Fear no one,” Father Chas explores how faith, courage, and trust in God’s providence help us overcome fear and boldly live as disciples in the world.

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Fear No One: Keeping Our Eyes on the Mission

All right, so with the school year done and right after that wonderful Corpus Christi procession we had from here to St. Mary’s a couple of Sundays ago, I went to visit some friends in Nebraska.

During that week, many of you heard that I got a hole-in-one. Instead of telling the story every time someone asked about it, I thought I would share it during this weekend’s homily because, believe it or not, golf is actually applicable to today’s Gospel.

On Wednesday, June 10, we were at Hillcrest Country Club in Lincoln, Nebraska, on hole number three—a 200-yard par three. That’s about a six iron for a tour player, but for a 53-year-old like me, it was a 21-degree hybrid.

It was one of those shots that, the moment you hit it, you knew it was pure. The ball launched effortlessly off the center of the club face. As I watched it fly through the air, I jokingly imagined the heavens opening, a choir of angels singing, and God the Father’s hand blessing the ball.

Not really—but I did think to myself, “Oh man, this is going to be good.”

The pin was tucked in the back of the green. I watched the ball land, take a bounce, roll a little bit, and then disappear. Since it was 200 yards away, I couldn’t be certain it had gone in. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, so I told myself there was also a chance it had rolled off the back of the green.

When we arrived at the green, there was no ball behind it. I looked into the cup, and there it was at the bottom of the hole with my distinctive mark on it. I knew it was mine.

Walt was standing right there, so I gave him a big hug, let out a loud “Woo-hoo!” and did a little dance. The rest is history.

Yes, there was a lot of luck involved.

But what does golf have to do with today’s Gospel?

If you play golf, you know that flush shots are few and far between. Even the best golfers in the world are regularly humbled by the game. Much of that is because golf is as much mental as it is physical.

Sometimes when standing on an intimidating hole with water hazards or out-of-bounds areas, I find myself thinking, “Just don’t hit it into the water. Just don’t hit it into the water.”

And where does it go?

Right into the water.

Or maybe you’re on the green. From forty feet away, you can putt a ball within inches of the hole. Yet from only three feet away, because you’re so afraid of missing, you somehow manage to miss a four-and-a-quarter-inch cup.

Why?

Because you’re fixated on the fear of failure.

That fixation can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

This is where today’s Gospel comes in.

We are in Matthew chapter 10, where Jesus is preparing the Twelve Apostles for their first mission. He sends them ahead to prepare the way for Him in the towns and villages He intends to visit.

To lend credibility to their message, Jesus gives them authority to cast out demons, heal diseases, and cure illnesses. He allows them to participate in His divine power.

But just before today’s passage, Jesus also warns them:

“Behold, I am sending you like sheep among wolves.”

He tells them they will be handed over to courts, scourged in synagogues, brought before governors and kings, and hated because of His name.

Naturally, the disciples are afraid.

They are focused on the hazards. They are looking at the bunkers, the water, and the out-of-bounds areas rather than focusing on the mission itself.

They are consumed by fear.

If you’ve watched The Chosen, it portrays this fear quite well. The disciples wonder, “What exactly are you asking us to do?”

Seeing their fear, Jesus paints a bigger picture.

He begins with three simple words:

“Fear no one.”

Yes, they may be persecuted. They may suffer. But Jesus says:

“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.”

The only One worthy of our ultimate fear is God, and even then, that fear is not terror but the holy fear of the Lord—the beginning of wisdom.

Immediately after this, Jesus reminds them of the Father’s love:

“Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge.”

And then:

“Do not be afraid. You are worth more than many sparrows.”

Nothing is insignificant to God.

The Father knows when a sparrow falls. How much more does He know and care for each one of us?

Notice that Jesus does not say God prevents every sparrow from falling. He says the Father knows.

After all, nearly every apostle would eventually die a martyr’s death. They did fall to the ground.

Yet God still had their backs.

As the early Church Father Tertullian famously said:

“The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”

The courage and witness of those early Christians did not stop Christianity from spreading—it accelerated it throughout the Roman Empire.

Their suffering became part of God’s greater plan.

Just as God the Father did not abandon His Son on the Cross, He did not abandon the apostles.

And He does not abandon us.

Jesus now gives us the same mission He gave them:

Go and make disciples.

We too are called to be sheep among wolves.

We are called to prepare hearts to receive Christ.

One thing that has impressed me about many young people in Generation Z who are discovering Jesus and the Catholic faith is their boldness. Many of them did not grow up in religious households, yet they openly share their faith through social media and in everyday conversations.

Despite criticism, ridicule, or negative comments, they continue speaking about the freedom, hope, and love they have found in Christ.

Their example challenges us.

What is driving our lives?

Are we fear-driven?

Are we selfishly driven?

Or are we mission-driven?

Are we intimidated by the “water hazards” and “out-of-bounds markers” of life—the fear of rejection, judgment, ridicule, or failure?

In some places around the world, Christians still endure the same physical persecution faced by the early disciples.

Satan uses fear to trap us. Fear can cause us to choose selfishly, act rashly, or refuse to act at all.

Jesus tells us something different.

Fear no one.

Others may harm the body, but they cannot touch the soul unless we allow them to.

Instead, focus on Jesus.

Focus on the One who is greater than every fear.

Focus on the faith, hope, and love that can transform your family, your workplace, your community, and your world.

Focus on the eternal glory that awaits those who remain faithful.

As we continue through these next two weeks, I invite you to take stock of what is truly driving your life and to grow closer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Because the courage Jesus calls us to can only come from an intimate union with Him.