During his papacy, Saint John Paul II’s most used phrase was “be not afraid.” He even shared this sentiment with the crowds at his inaugural mass as the new Vicar of Christ in 1978. But, what did he mean when he was telling us not to be afraid? Many years later, in his memoir, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, he shared that it was the Holy Spirit who inspired him to share this message and to make it the central point of his papacy. He explains that through Jesus, God brought about the redemption of mankind, therefore there is no circumstance in our life (at a personal or global level – or anything in between) that should cause us to fear. He shares, “There is no evil to be faced that Christ does not face with us. There is no enemy that Christ has not already conquered. There is no cross to bear that Christ has not already borne for us, and does not now bear with us.”