Letting Go of Anxiety - By Charles F. Stanley

You are already late to work, and traffic comes to a dead stop. The stock market drops another 500 points. You suspect your son is experimenting with drugs. In situations like these, it's normal to feel anxious. Anxiety—or worry—is an emotional response to a thought or circumstance that we perceive as negative. The Greek word translated as "worried" in Matthew 6:25 means "distracted." It refers to uncertainty about the future. For many people, worry is a way of life. If that describes you, I encourage you to read again the words of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. His command is clear: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matt. 6:25-26) You may say, "But I can't help feeling anxious; I have always been a worrier!" I've heard that from many people through the years. My response is, "Oh yes, you can." Contrary to what some people think, worry is not some trait that is inseparable from our nature. Rather, anxiety occurs because of the way we respond to a problem or troubling situation. You can select what to think about (2 Cor. 10:5), and you can decide how to respond to a circumstance. Your ability to choose is part of God's gift of free will to every human being. No circumstance automatically causes long-term anxiety. It isn't the Father's purpose for you to be controlled by worry. The Lord may allow an unpleasant situation in your life to develop stronger faith, stimulate spiritual growth, or change a bad habit or negative attitude. But He does not set you up to feel anxious. God is always at work to bring you to a place where you will increasingly trust and obey Him and receive more of His blessings. Concern differs from anxiety We must be careful not to confuse concern with anxiety. It is normal for a Christian to care. This attitude motivates us to intercede and to take godly actions towards meeting the needs of others or ourselves. We are to be concerned, for example, about our families, our health, and our performance at work. That is, we want to do tasks well so that God receives glory from our lives. Some concern, furthermore, is rooted in responsibility. As Christians, we are to fulfill God's commandments in our daily lives. In other words, we should live in an honest and moral manner—paying our bills, telling the truth, giving a full day's effort for a full day's wage, and so forth. We also express this attitude in relation to the people under our protection. If, for example, a child is injured, her parent has a genuine right and responsibility to be concerned about whether the ankle is sprained or broken. Concern will lead to taking action and seeking medical advice. And what if you were to lose your job? You'd naturally—and justifiably—be somewhat preoccupied with how to find a new one so you could provide for your family. A concern rooted in caring or obedience is not the same as anxiety. But to fall apart emotionally, become paralyzed with fear, or allow thoughts of bankruptcy, homelessness, and a bleak future to overtake your mind—absolutely not! That's anxiety. Concern is positive: it is forward-looking and constructive. Anxiety is the opposite—it is counterproductive, stuck in the past, and negative. In other words, concern motivates us to take action; anxiety paralyzes us. Concern may be marked with tears, expressions of sorrow or sympathy, thoughtful reflection, or quiet time for meditation. In the end, concern leads us to make decisions. Appropriate thinking in such cases might sound like this: I choose to trust in God. I want to seek His purpose and plan in this. I'll take the action He leads me to take. Anxiety, on the other hand, tends to be marked by hand-wringing, uncontrollable crying, deeply furrowed brows and slumped shoulders, sleepless nights, nervous twitches, and endless pacing. Worry is a treadmill that tends to keep a person in a state of fear and negativity. The choice is yours We are all human, so occasionally we will be blind-sided by unsettling incidents or discoveries. At such times, it is normal to react emotionally. But God's children should not remain in that condition for long. Instead of falling into a downward spiral of anxiety over difficult circumstances, a healthier response is to pray something like this: "Heavenly Father, I bring my problem to You. The situation is beyond my control and influence, and I feel helpless, but You have the power to change circumstances. I know that You love me perfectly and whatever You have planned for me is for my good. Show me how to respond, and I will obey You. I look forward to seeing the way You choose to express Your love, wisdom, and power." Friend, this is the way of peace—the road out of anxiety. Let it go.

SHARING ALL ONE HAS - By: Fr. Chito Dimaranan, SDB

Matthew Kelly talks about “minimalism” as one of the traits that characterize the youth of our times. Along with “individualism” and “hedonism,” he says that so many fail to see the bigger picture out there, including the beauty and simplicity of a life of holiness on account of this tendency to minimalism in all aspects of our lives.

Minimalism is to give not of one’s whole self, but of one’s puny, little self. In school, it means doing only that which satisfies the minimum requirements to pass the course. It means not making that extra push and exerting that extra effort to excel, so as to be a cut above the rest. It means being satisfied with what is little.

Today’s Gospel (John 6:1-15) passage reminds us of the opposite of minimalism. It teaches us not about pusillanimity, but of gracious magnanimity. Although the boy only had five barley loaves and two fish, he had a big heart that spoke eloquently of untrammeled generosity.

He had five loaves and two fish. That was all he had. (He sure had a huge appetite!) But levity aside, what he had, he offered. When was the last time you really gave all you had? I bet you, if you were in his place, you would at least have probably thought of keeping half a loaf and a piece of the fish for yourself! I would certainly have done so! But no, the miracle was as much a miracle of multiplication of loaves as it was a miracle of selfless generosity.

The boy had that little treasure trove, a bagful of food that occasioned a party for five thousand (not counting women). But Philip, too, had his own little share. Apparently good at Math, he knew how much he needed. But there was Andrew, too. Apparently good at spotting talents and human and material resources, he found the boy who was willing to give all he had! And he lost no time in telling the Lord. All the Lord needed was readiness and willingness for each of them to give their all.

REFLECTION QUESTION: How ready are you to give your all when the circumstances call for it?

Lord Jesus, grant me a generous heart that does not count the cost of giving but rejoices in being able to give.

GOSPEL READING TODAY (April 20, 2012) John 6: 1 - 15 - Multiplication of the Loaves at Passover

1 After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiber'i-as. 2 And a multitude followed him, because they saw the signs which he did on those who were diseased. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a multitude was coming to him, Jesus said to Philip, "How are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" 6 This he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. 7 Philip answered him, "Two hundred denarii would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." 8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, 9 "There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what are they among so many?" 10 Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was much grass in the place; so the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, that nothing may be lost." 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign which he had done, they said, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world!" 15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.

INSPIRATIONAL STORIES ABOUT THE ROPE (CUT THE ROPE AND SIMPLY TRUST IN GOD)

This is a story of a mountain climber, desperate to conquer the Aconcagua, initiated his climb after years of preparation.

But he wanted the glory to himself; therefore, he went up alone. He started climbing and it was becoming later and later. He did not prepare for camping but decided to keep on going.

Soon it got dark . . . Night fell with heaviness at such high altitude and there was zero visibility.

Everything was black, no moon, and the stars covered by clouds.

As he was climbing a ridge at about 100 meters from the top, he slipped and fell. Falling rapidly he could only see blotches of darkness that passed in the same darkness and a terrible sensation of being suctioned by gravity.

He kept falling and in those anguishing moments’ good and bad memories passed through his mind. He thought he would die. Nevertheless, he felt a jolt that almost tore him in half. Like any good mountain climber he had staked himself with a long rope tied to his waist.

In those moments of stillness, suspended in the air he had no other choice but to shout, “HELP ME GOD”, “HELP ME!”

All of a sudden he heard a deep voice from heaven. “What do you want me to do?”

“SAVE ME!”

“Do you REALLY think that I can save you?”

“OF COURSE, MY GOD”

“Then CUT THE ROPE that is holding you up.”

There was another moment of silence and stillness. The climber continued to hang onto the rope, while hoping to be able to grab onto something that would enable him to climb to safety. Unable to see his true situation, the climber concluded, as most people would, that hanging onto the rope was his only hope. And so he held tighter to the rope.

The rescue team says that the next day they found, a frozen mountain climber hanging strongly to a rope TWO FEET off the ground . . .

What about you? How trusting are you in that “rope”? Why don’t you let it go?

God has great and marvelous things for you. Are you willing to trust God with the many things in life beyond your knowledge or control?

CUT THE ROPE AND SIMPLY TRUST IN HIM.

Try to always remember: “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13.

Stories of Scattered Cotton Bits - (Slandering is worse than killing)

Once upon a time, there was a rich politician who had big influence in the society. As a politician, he had to travel often. But, because of bad influence from his friends, he started gambling. At first, the amount was small, but since he could not control his desire to win and get back what he had lost, he lost his mind, too. At the end, he lost all he had earned from his hard work. He went bankrupt. His wife and children were neglected.

No other people knew about his gambling. So in order to cover this shameful habit, he started to spread the rumour that his bankruptcy was caused by his trusted friend. He said that his best friend had betrayed him and taken away his money.
The rumour spread fast. The politician's friend could not stand it and got sick. He became very thin like a living skeleton. His whole family also suffered a lot. Every time they went out, people would look at them suspiciously. They were even isolated by the community.

Never had the politician thought that the impact of his lies would be this bad. He hurriedly visited his friend, asking for forgiveness. "My dear friend, I must admit that I was wrong, putting the blame on you and slandering you. With all my heart, I seek pardon. Is there anything I can do to make up for my evil deed?"
The other man said weakly, "I have two requests. First, please take a pillow and go to the roof of this house. Upon reaching the roof, take out a little bit of cotton from the pillow and spread it bit by bit."

Although he did not understand the reason behind this, the politician did it. After spreading all the cotton, he rushed back to the dying man.

"I have done your first request. What is your second request?"

"Now, collect the entire cotton bits you have spread earlier," said his friend with his weaker voice.

The politician was silent for a while, and then answered sadly, "I am so sorry, my friend, but I cannot grant you your wish. The cotton bits are everywhere now, it is impossible to recollect them anymore."

With his last effort, his friend answered, "It's exactly the same as the lies you have spread. The rumour will not stop just because you regret it or because you are sorry."

The politician was again silenced. "I know you are my true friend, indeed. Although I have made a blunder, you're still willing to give me a valuable lesson. I promise to do my very best to repair the damage I've made. Once again, please forgive me, my friend. And thank you for your lesson."

With tears in his eyes, the politician hugged his true friend.