As the Church celebrates the Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Jenny Kraska offers her thoughts on the day’s liturgical readings, reflecting on the theme, ” The Cure for a Midsummer Night’s Confusion.”
By Jenny Kraska
Recently, I had the pleasure of seeing A Midsummer Night’s Dream performed as a ballet. Shakespeare’s delightful comedy is already filled with movement, confusion, romance, and wonder, but seeing it expressed through dance made one theme especially clear: how often human beings lose their way when they are governed by fear, illusion, and uncertainty.
That experience unexpectedly brought to mind Jesus’ words in Matthew’s Gospel where He repeatedly tells His disciples, “Do not be afraid.”
In Shakespeare’s enchanted forest, nearly everyone is confused. Lovers pursue the wrong people. Friends become rivals. Reality seems unstable. The characters stumble through a world where appearances deceive and emotions shift without warning. Watching these scenes unfold in ballet, one sees how vulnerable human beings are when they cannot clearly perceive the truth.
The Gospel present a similar human condition, though in a much deeper sense. Jesus is preparing His disciples for a difficult mission. They will face opposition, misunderstandings, and even persecution. Yet His message is remarkably simple: “Do not be afraid.”
The reason is not that the disciples will avoid suffering. Jesus makes no such promise. Rather, they need not fear because God sees them completely and loves them perfectly. “Even all the hairs of your head are counted.” What appears hidden, chaotic, or threatening is never beyond the Father’s knowledge and care.
The contrast between Shakespeare’s forest and Christ’s Kingdom’s is striking. In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, confusion is resolved largely through magic.
In the Gospel, confusion is overcome through divine providence. The disciples are not asked to trust in luck, chance, or enchantment. They are asked to trust in a God who knows them intimately and who guides history towards His purposes.
There is another similarity worth noting. At the end of Shakespeare’s play, the characters awaken as though from a dream. They discovered that what seemed overwhelming was not the whole story. Perspective changes everything.
Faith often works in a similar way. We become consumed by anxieties about our reputation, our future, our failures, or the opinions of others.
Yet Jesus invites us to awaken from those fears. He reminds us that our true worth does not come from public approval but from belonging to God. “…you are worth more than many sparrows.”
This assurance gives rise to courage. The disciples are called to acknowledge Christ openly before others. Such witness requires confidence, not in themselves, but in God’s love. Christians throughout the centuries have found strength in the conviction that they are known, loved, and remembered by God.
As I watched the ballet, I was struck by how gracefully the dancers moved through scenes of confusion toward reconciliation and joy. The Gospel offers something even greater.
Christ does not merely lead us out of a dream; He leads us into reality. He teaches us that beneath the apparent chaos of life stands the steadfast love of the Father.
In a world that often feels as bewildering as Shakespeare’s enchanted forest, Jesus’ words remain a source of peace: “Do not be afraid.” The One who counts the hairs on our heads is guiding us home.
