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| Worrying begins at a very young age. |
(Eighth Sunday
of the Year (A): This homily was given on February 26, 2017 at St. Pius X
Church, Westerly, R.I., by Fr. Raymond Suriani.
Read Matthew 6: 24-34.)
[For the audio version of this homily, click here: Eighth Sunday 2017]
Rein in your
thoughts!
Those four
words, I would say, sum up the Lord’s message to us in this gospel text we just
heard from Matthew, chapter 6.
Rein in your
thoughts!
To “rein
something in,” as most of us know, means to
stop it or to get control of it
or to limit it in some way. And so we speak of a government trying to
“rein in” spending (usually without success!), or a cowboy attempting to “reign
in” his horse.
Well, at times
our thoughts need to be “reined in” as well: our angry thoughts, our
uncharitable thoughts, our impure thoughts—even our worrisome thoughts (which
are the ones Jesus explicitly makes reference to in this gospel).
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. … Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for the day is its own evil.
Jesus could
have said, “Rein in your thoughts of worry” and it would have had the same
meaning.
Now that’s
easier said than done—especially if you’re older, or if you have a serious
illness (as some of us do). I know that
since I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s back in 2010 my thoughts turn, more than
ever before, to the future—and to the great “unknowns” of the future: How will
my health be next month, next year—and beyond?
What will my quality of life be like?
What other symptoms am I going to have to deal with in the future
besides the ones I’ve already got? Will I
be able to care for myself in my later years?
Will there ever be a cure—and if there is, will I be eligible for it
when it’s finally discovered?
Those of you
with cancer, or heart disease, or diabetes—or any other serious malady—have
similar questions that cross your minds, I’m sure.
And that’s
quite understandable.
But if we don’t
deal with these thoughts and rein them in (so to speak), they can and very often
will depress us. They can even paralyze
us emotionally—which is why Jesus is so adamant in this gospel about trusting
God and not allowing worrisome thoughts to control our lives (even if we’re
blessed to be in great physical health!).
So how do you
deal with these thoughts personally? How
do you deal with thoughts of worry when they make an unwelcomed appearance in
your mind?
Well, one way—one
very effective way—to deal with them is to “stand on the word of God,” as our
Protestant brothers and sisters would say.
In this context, “standing on the word” involves replacing thoughts of worry and fear with thoughts from the Bible
about faith and trust—especially the thoughts that Jesus gives us in this
text. In fact, this is a very good
passage of Scripture to try to memorize (at least in part), so that you can
call its message to mind whenever you’re tempted to worry.
Lord,
I’m very concerned with this situation, but you tell me in Matthew 6 not to
worry, and that you will provide for my needs even more than you provide for
the needs of birds and flowers and everything else in the world of nature. Help me to seek first your kingdom—your way
of holiness, and to trust that tomorrow will “take care of itself”—as will this
situation I’m dealing with.
That’s one way
to “rein in” worrisome thoughts: stand on God’s word.
Let me share with
you now one other approach. This is one
that I’ve found very helpful and have used a lot—especially since my
Parkinson’s diagnosis. And it’s really
quite simple:
Whenever you’re
tempted to worry about the future, think of the past—specifically your past; and, especially the trials,
difficulties and sufferings you’ve experienced in your past life. Do that, and then remind yourself of
something that you know—of something that you know with absolute certitude:
God was faithful, and he got me through
it all!
And how do you
know that?
Because you’re
here! That’s how you know it.
If the Lord had
not been faithful and hadn’t gotten you through it all, you wouldn’t be here
this morning! You’d be somewhere
else. You’d probably be in River Bend or
St. Sebastian’s or one of our other local cemeteries. The rest of you would be at room temperature
in some other location.
So, if God has
been faithful, and has given you the grace to deal with EVERY trial of your
past life (and, as I just said, we know he has), isn’t it reasonable to believe
he will do the same in every trial you face in the future?
Why should we
think that God will suddenly change and NOT give us what we need in days and
years to come, when he’s always given us what we’ve needed in the past?
And so, in
those moments when I’m tempted to worry about my future with Parkinson’s, I
think about my parents dying at relatively young ages, and many of the other
trials and tragedies I’ve experienced over the years, and I say,
Lord you brought me through all those sufferings—some of which I didn’t think I could deal with; and you’ve given me the grace to deal with Parkinson’s now for more than 6 years. So I’m going to trust that you will continue to do the same thing for me in the future. I trust that what you’ve done for me in the past, you’ll do for me today and every day of my future life—whether I get physically get better or not.
That way of
thinking “reins in my thoughts” and lessens the worry—sometimes eliminating it
entirely.
Obviously prayers
also help, as do meditations like the one St. Francis de Sales wrote sometime
in the late 16th or early 17th century.
Apparently people
worried a lot back then too!
I’ll leave you
with his words:
Do not look forward in fear to the changes of life; rather look to them with full hope that as they arise, God, whose very own you are, will lead you safely through all things; and when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in his arms.
Do not fear what may happen tomorrow; the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you then and every day. He will either shield you from suffering, or will give you the unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.
