Never worry about anything

IN this Lenten season when we are encouraged to do some deep reflection and penance if only to grow in our spiritual life, to make ourselves more identified with Christ, we should try to develop a lifestyle of abiding faith and hope such that nothing should worry us. 

 And the reason for this is because Christ, the pattern of our humanity and the savior of our damaged humanity, takes care of everything. All we have to do is to try our best to be with Christ who makes himself ever available to us, providing us with everything that we need. 

 This Christian attitude has basis on what many saints have testified very vividly. St. Paul, for example, has these following testimonies to support that claim: 

 - “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4,6-7) 

 - “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Phil 4,12-13) 

 - “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.” (2 Cor 4,8-10) 

 We really need to learn how to think, react and behave according to what our Christian faith teaches us. For this, we need to spend time meditating on these truths of our faith, and to develop the appropriate skills and attitude. We should not dare to live our life, tackling all sorts of conditions, by relying simply on our human powers. 

 What is also helpful is to avail ourselves of the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist, where we can have the very body of Christ in us, and hopefully share his very own spirit that animated the souls of all the saints. 

 With Christ, we really would have no reason to fear, nor to wallow in worries, anxieties and sadness. Christ himself has reassured us in this regard: “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16,33) 

 Let’s also remember that these unfortunate states are fertile ground for the enemies of our soul, especially the devil, to take advantage of us. Rather we should learn to convert these unfortunate situations as occasions to go to Christ. 

 About the only reason to fear, worry and be sad is when we lose our faith, when we lose touch with God. We have to pray and pray so that our doubts and fears would not undermine our faith. 

 What also helps is to develop a sporting attitude in life, because, to be realistic about it, we will always have frustrations, disappointments, mistakes, failures, sins and defeats in our life. But we just have to learn how to move on, just like a good sportsman. 

 We should always be cheerful in life, and strive to show it even externally with smiles and happy, warm and encouraging dispositions. Even in our grief and mourning, we should manage to learn how to be serene, knowing that suffering and death have already been redeemed by Christ and are now endowed with redemptive power.

“A clean heart create for me, O God”

THAT’S from Psalm 51,12 that is often used as Responsorial Psalm in some Holy Masses. It’s a psalm that is worth keeping in mind always because in the end our real identity and condition can only be found in our heart. We should try our best that our heart be as clean and pure as possible, reflecting the very heart of Christ that is full of love. 

 We really need to take good care of our heart, which means that we should anchor it on Christ, since we are patterned after him. Thus, in the Book of Proverbs, we have this invitation from God, “My son, give me your heart, and let your eyes delight in my ways.” (23,26) This invitation should be clear in our mind and heart, and we should do everything to be able to correspond to that invitation properly. 

 Nowadays when our heart is glutted with so many worldly things, it is really a tall order to say, yes, to this invitation. But with God’s grace, which we can always receive with due humility on our part, there is no doubt that we can do it. 

 Obviously, to get a handle on our heart, we first of all need to go to God. Our human powers alone can never be enough. They can even be dangerous, since they are often very limited and, worse, erratic. 

 This is where strict self-discipline is most needed. We cannot deny the fact that we are often dominated by passions inside us and fashions outside us. We have our usual weaknesses of pride, laziness, attachments, etc. Thus, we need to undertake a continuing struggle, using all kinds of spiritual armory to wage this daily battle and aim at nothing less than conquering our heart for Christ. 

 Things may look difficult and unwinnable, but with faith, with persistence and God’s abundant grace, we can actually manage. Besides, there is deep within us a natural longing for God. Remember St. Augustine’s words: “My heart is restless until it finds its rest in You.” The natural attraction of our heart, if not corrupted, is God. 

 If we don’t complicate our heart, we can easily be led to God because he is where all good comes from. If we can just discipline ourselves and allow ourselves to be guided by faith and reason, we can always find God. 

 He is not someone who takes delight in hiding from us. His presence is everywhere. Christ himself assured us: “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Mt 28,20) 

 And when we manage to keep our heart clean, then we can experience what Christ said in one of the Beatitudes: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Mt 5,8) 

 Imagine how it will be when we manage to see God in everything and at all times because we strive to make our heart clean and pure! To be sure, God is never sparing in giving everything that we need to make our heart clear and pure. Things would just depend on how we correspond to what God is giving us. 

 Everyday, we have to see to it that we strive to keep our heart clean and pure. We should never let it float in any which way. We have to see to it that our heart increasingly gets united to God until it is fully identified with him. As said earlier, we have all the means to achieve that goal. 

 Thus, we have to constantly ask the question: “Where do I give my heart? To whom do I give myself completely?” And let’s be ready with the correct answer.

What can build up our mental health

“I WILL praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.” That’s from Psalm 30,2, sometimes used as a Responsorial Psalm in some Holy Masses. It’s a psalm that is most worthy to keep in mind and heart always, for it does nothing other than to assure us that no matter how our life goes with all its drama, Christ takes care of everything. There is actually nothing to worry. 

 Of course, given our human limitations, we oftentimes cannot help but react to certain things in our life with overwhelming worries and sorrows. But we should learn to overcome them as quickly as possible, since we know, if we are guided by our Christian faith, that everything works out for the good as long as they are referred to and lived with Christ. (cfr. Rom 8,28) 

 We obviously have to avail of all that our medical sciences can offer to alleviate if not solve our problems in the area of mental health. But we should not forget that the ultimate way to handle issues that have a great, albeit adverse, bearing on our mental health is by strengthening our faith in God’s loving and merciful providence. 

 This is where the value of piety comes in, playing a crucial role in keeping us healthy mentally, emotionally, psychologically and even physically. Piety is our relationship with God. It is nourished by God’s gifts of faith, hope and charity to which we have to correspond knowingly, freely and lovingly. 

 We have to realize more deeply our need to have a genuine life of piety to be truly healthy, first in the spirit and then in the body. We have to spread this Good News widely. It hardly involves money or some material things. What only is needed is an act of faith, which is something spiritual, a matter of our will and intelligence and, of course, God’s grace which is always given. 

 How important it is that we get to have a clear idea about the intimate relationship between faith and psychology! At the moment, it seems that psychology is largely grounded and ruled by one’s feelings, moods, temperament or some organic elements alone, if not by some cultural or social factors, then even by mere ideologies. 

 There are even those who develop their psychological life along lines of mere techniques, or worse, by some drug-induced sense of stability and calmness or other escape and defense mechanisms. 

 Yes, the human and medical means are important, but what is truly indispensable is to develop an authentic life of piety. For this, we really have to learn to pray, to refer everything to God whom we have to regard as our Father who never fails us. Our belief and love for him should be such that we trust him for everything, even in those things that humanly speaking cannot anymore have human solutions. 

 This means that we also have to develop a certain sense of abandonment in the hands of God. It should be such that whatever happens in our life, we can still remain calm, cheerful, optimistic and confident. 

 Let’s not leave behind this need for piety even as we look for human solutions to our problems and challenges, and develop good mental health! Let’s strengthen our belief that, as mentioned, in the psalm cited above, Christ has rescued us already. We are assured of that. What should remain in our mind and heart is the joy and peace that come with our praising God always. This is what truly builds up our mental health!