By Deacon Dan Wagnitz | For On Mission
With November at our doorstep, the onset of winter can be an especially challenging season for many of us as days become shorter, the dark of night lasts longer, and in the north, even daytime skies can be steel gray for days on end. Certainly, there are more serious cases that call for professional medical intervention. Still, many people, perhaps even most, can feel a weight pressing down on their minds and spirits at times.
When we are not at peace, we can draw inward, which can lead to a feeling of anxiousness. As we consider the growing challenges of mental health, it may be helpful to remember Jesus’ deep desire for us. In his Last Supper discourse, Jesus assures the Apostles: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid” (Jn 14:27).
Anxiety can have many contributing factors, and not all of them are under your control. It isn’t possible to just dismiss the reality when you get caught up in it. Whether it makes rational sense or not, how we feel is very real and honest. Such feelings can’t be pushed aside by either an external or an internal voice saying, “Just get over it.” It is possible, though, to take concrete action steps that can help us seize the peace that Jesus desires for us. As always, Jesus is our hope in times such as these.
Here are faith-inspired actions that could be the spiritual help you are searching for:
- Read a good spiritual book — slowly. I recommend “The Practice of the Presence of God” by Br. Lawrence for several reasons. First, it is written at a conversational level. Br. Lawrence was not an academic; he was in charge of the kitchen at the Carmelite monastery he belonged to. I don’t want to reveal too much, but Br. Lawrence never got to the point where he really enjoyed his kitchen duties, but he was able to find God there among the pots and pans. If you are facing challenging circumstances over which you have little or no control, you may find Br. Lawrence’s guidance quite helpful.
I recommend that, whether it is Brother Lawrence or another spiritual guide, you force yourself to read slowly. Read just a handful of pages each day. Take time to contemplate the message. Take it to prayer to figure out how you can incorporate that idea into your own lived experience.
- Volunteer. Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God and neighbor. Love is an outward response to another. Nothing gets you outside yourself like acting out of love for another. Numerous pantries, shelters and school programs need your time and skills. Approach your volunteer activity intentionally, not merely as helping out but as a conscious act of love for the sake of another.
- Attend a weekday Mass. Make an effort to attend a weekday Mass as a personal sacrifice for love of God. You decide, based on your own schedule, whether that weekday Mass is weekly, monthly, or whatever timeframe you can reasonably commit to. Just as serving others directs your focus outward, attending Mass is the best way to celebrate that Jesus loves you enough to lay down his life for you. You are not alone. You are loved. Receive the Jesus who loves you.
- Pray. Set aside some time out of your day to have a conversation with God. If structured prayer is satisfying, then pray the Rosary or Chaplet of Divine Mercy. If you are comfortable just having a conversation with God, then by all means, pray however it feels helpful to you. But remember that whether it is structured prayer or a conversation, take time to sit and listen to what God has to say to you.
- Bundle up and get outside. By going outside, your world automatically gets bigger. The walls won’t press in on you quite as much. Search for signs of life. Winter can seem bleak if we just think about everything from summer that’s not present — like flowers, green grass and robins chirping. What is present? For example, look closely at the end of a tree branch. Next spring’s leaf buds are already formed and visible. Enjoy the sparkle of the sunlight reflected in the ice crystals. See the tracks of the rabbits, deer and squirrels that are moving about all winter long. Hear the constant buzzing of the chickadees — a couple of ounces of feathers and energy, seemingly bouncing from branch to branch, tree to tree, on even the most frigid of days. Watch children play on a sledding hill. Laughter is music to the soul.
I pray these ideas are helpful and even inspirational for other actions that help the peace of Christ be with you.