As we continue the celebration of the Lord’s victory over sin and death in this Easter season, we do well to note how Jesus greeted his followers when they saw him again after he had risen. “Peace be with you.”

The risen Lord gave to his followers the gift of his peace because they had just gone through the trial and deep discouragement of seeing him suffer. Jesus was thought to have been defeated and all that his friends had hoped for, lost. And for all of that, the disciples were left in fear; fear of being alone without Christ, fear of having to rely only on their own inadequate strength, and fear that forces of the world are just too strong.

Jesus often had to deal with the fear experienced by his followers.

The Gospels record that the Apostles were in near panic as their boat was tossed about by the waves. When awakened, Jesus calmed the seas and then asked them, “Why were you afraid?”

Likewise, as Christ extended his hand to Peter who had begun to sink after walking on the water, he asked, “Why did you doubt?”

So much of the life of faith is to learn to trust Christ as we go through the trials and temptations of life.

At times, the world seems to be afraid of Christ himself, the invitation to walk with Christ is a call to imitate him. And if we imitate him in our faith and especially in our moral lives, it is not just in the moments of joy and love.

We need to be willing to take up the cross as Jesus did. If God the Father asked Jesus to love Him and us even unto suffering and death, He might ask the same of us.

It all can seem so overwhelming.

Peter knew the feeling. Even after being pulled from the water by Christ, Peter still didn’t learn the lesson until late in life. During the Lord’s suffering, he tried to watch from a distance, thus being with Christ, sort of, but not risking too much. Peter was not made happier by his reticence and fear.

The Easter season and Christ’s constant appearances to his followers are calls to conquer our fear with God’s love.

Making, say, the commitment to Church’s moral teaching, or to becoming a priest, or to supporting God’s plan for marriage, these and other moments of faith are invitations from God to follow Him into an unknown future.

We can’t be surprised that the waves are high at times or that the boat will be rocking. Still, Jesus is either with us in the boat, or walking nearby. His appearances to his followers after the resurrection show that he won’t let us down.

In the first month of his service as Holy Father, Pope Francis has made a point of highlighting another form of Christ’s help in carrying our crosses. That is the help and strength that we can give to each other.

In charity and in selfless service, we look for others who are in need and we can serve them. Be it by our aid, or by our encouragement, or simply by our presence, the cross can become lighter for them and the waves lower. And if we can help others, we can look for that sort of help for ourselves.

The resurrection of Jesus shows us that it is not by giving in to fear that we will have peace of heart, but by giving ourselves to him who helps us to conquer even the fear of our own death.

Our friendship with Jesus, risen from the dead, is stronger than any challenge to faith.