“THERE is a fear which is nothing more than being frightened, the passion of fear, purely human and to which small honour can be attributed. Some people are afraid of God in this way, and they hide themselves from him. Adam and Eve in Paradise were afraid, because they had sinned ; afraid too was the unfaithful servant who, fearing the severity of his lord, hid his talent in the earth ; and so also St Peter who, for fear of a serving girl, denied his Master.
“This fear is evil, leading us into sin ; it has no admission into the kingdom of God. This fear is of another sort than true fear. It is called servile fear. When it becomes the sole motive of our good actions they are vitiated at the root. So it is with the man who serves God only from fear of his judgment and of hell, as who would say : Were it not for hell I would lead quite another life. This servile fear is bad, and is capable of begetting sin.
“There is however a certain ‘ fear of servitude ’; a fear of God’s judgments and his punishments, which can be used to a good end. There are times when such a fear can help us and restrain us. In the education of children, for example, we use it when higher motives fail to appeal. Provided love of God be not excluded from it; provided it be not our sole motive, it has its value, and we can use it as a means. There are cases where it will effect a conversion, or keep us on the right path. In contradiction to Protestant doctrines, the Council of Trent has defined it as a gift of God.
“Lastly, there is filial fear, childlike fear. When a soul truly loves God with all its heart, seeing in him perfect Goodness, the only God, knowing him to be its loving Father, it does not on that account forget his greatness, his majesty — God enclosed, in his impenetrable secrecy, with his terrifying judgments, his infinite power. Between these two concepts, God the Terrible and God the Father, what will the soul do?
Where will the impulse of its heart direct it? Will the Divine Majesty compel it to flee its Father? Or will his goodness constrain it to cast out all fear? And yet his justice remains. For the soul loving God in sincerity there is only one course, to cling to its Father’s side. What shall it fear indeed, if not separation from him? The soul then shall know fear, because God is holy, and it sinful, God is great and it is small. But this will be a child’s fear of the Father it knows to be good, and it will lead the soul to throw itself into his arms, seeking there security from his very greatness. Surely this fear will not be forgetful of God’s majesty, justice and punishments, but it will return from these to affection, and a more ardent desire to belong to God, and never to be separated from him. How great the difference between this fear of separation from God and that servile fear which only constrains us to obedience by making us ‘ afraid ’ of him. At bottom, this filial fear is made of love. It always remains fear ; fear to be unworthy ofthe majesty, perfection and holiness of God ; but a fear inspired by love. It is with this fear that the Holy Spirit will inspire us when we put into effect our gift of fear, a gift which we will only find in souls loving God.”
— The Holy Spirit in Christian Life, by Père Gardeil, O.P (Blackfriars, 1953)
