โI came that they may have life and have it abundantlyโ (Jn. 10:10). Jesusโ promise resounds in my head and heart, over and over again, but not without recalling the warning that precedes it. โThe thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy,โ Our Lord prefaces. In placing these two statements together, Jesus presents Himself as the safeguard, the antidote, against the thievery and destruction of the enemy.
Such thievery and destruction seem to run rampant, at least in my life. A litany of situations from petty things to important things and everything in between have potential to steal peace and destroy the abundant life God has in store for me. Perhaps some of these hypothetical situations resonate with readers:
- My yard looks like a source of ridicule from my neighbors, and the list of household projects never gets any smaller.
- Every week, at least one of my aging vehicles has a problem.
- The world shows signs of being on the brink of cataclysmic war, and our nation looks as though itโs on the brink of civil war.
- Just when I catch my breath from a previous school year, the next one is already coming too quickly.
- One family member has been diagnosed recently with a significant health problem. Another aging relative exhibits signs of cognitive decline.
- I think I need to find a new job because the one I have seems to be a dead-end, and another has some appealing benefits.
- I would like that new job, but I donโt have the advanced degree or the certification I need.
- My teenager and/or young adult child is making choices that may be bad for his spiritual, mental, or physical well-being.
- A dear friend is moving away, and I donโt know when I might see him again.
- My retirement isnโt funded nearly enough, and I may not be able to fund college for my child(ren).
- The holidays are approaching, which means I have to start buying presents and baking cookies and attending parties.
Each of these are real situations, real responsibilities, that affect individuals, families, and larger communities. Worry results.
Spiritual guides and psychologists tell me that some bit of worry is natural, even healthy. Typically, though, I seek to satiate these worries because I am concerned with (or consumed by) a few underlying desires. Motivations usually boil down to some combination of pleasure, wealth, recognition, orโthe big oneโcontrol. When these are my focus and motivation, worry begins to spread its tentacles further and deeper, transforming into the emotional and spiritual poison of anxiety.
Archbishop Sheen Explains Anxiety
As he wrote to the American public in the 1950s, Ven. Fulton Sheen provided a memorable explanation of anxiety through his syndicated newspaper column. In one column, he wrote that a basic anxiety โis the natural condition of manโ because it โderives from the fact that man is in a state of suspension between the world of matter and spirit. [โฆ] At one moment he yearns for the fulfillment and the ecstasy of love, and the next moment has a sense of fed-up-ness and futilityโ (โWorry And Anxiety Experienced,โ Sept. 30, 1956).
Less than a year later, in a second column, he wrote, โAnxiety stems from irregulated desires from the creature wanting something that is unnecessary for him or contrary to his nature or positively harmful.โ He went on to explain that a man experiences anxiety when he โbecomes aware of his finiteness, of his passing life, of the decrease in enjoymentโ (โAtheism And Anxiety,โ May 26, 1957).
Sheenโs point was that every person worries about the never-ending litany of issues because he thinks each of those scenarios can aid in bringing him to the pinnacle of fulfillment and love. Yet, because we live in a fallen world, those things do not develop exactly as he plans, or in ways that require change and sacrifice, which leaves him feeling unfulfilled, yearning for higher goods. In that moment, the man can choose to let anxiety rule, destroying his healthy, happy life, or he can access and employ the antidote which will allow him to find the abundant life intended by the Lord.
The 3-Part Antidote to Anxiety
This antidote to anxiety is made up of three ingredients, each found in the Bible and in the wisdom of saints throughout the ages, including (soon-to-be-Blessed) Fulton Sheen. Worship, the virtue of detachment, and works of mercy are eminently practical ways to transform worry, fear, and anxiety into a holy yearning that allows us to experience the abundant life here and now.
In his preaching and writing, Sheen presented worship as the primary ingredient of the antidote for anxiety. In another newspaper column, Sheen wrote: โIt is only to the extent that timeless existence, or eternity, is brought to bear upon all of our actions in time, that we become liberated from that awful, frustrating anxiety of the temporalโ (โThe Anxiety of Time,โ published in Guide to Contentment). Quite simply, it is in the Churchโs worshipโlater extended by personal prayerโthat Eternity enters time and begins its liberating work. I only become less anxious, less prone to the wiles of the thief, when I place priority on worship. It is the first step for me turning my yearnings toward God and giving to the Almighty what He deserves.
The second ingredient in the recipe is detachment, a virtue closely related to humility, which seeks Godโs will over particular outcomes. There are plenty of examples of Old Testament prophets and New Testament authors exhorting their hearers and readers to this virtue (see Is. 66:2, Jer. 17:5, and 1 Thess. 5:16-18), not to mention Jesus Himself (see Lk. 12 and 14). Drawing from this font of biblical wisdom, Sheen expressed the truth that โresponsibility to Godโ is the primary burden we all bear and, once we accept that, โit follows that there are no worries left that cannot be solvedโ (โWorry And Anxiety Experiencedโ). This is why he could reference the biblical teaching of St. Peter: โHumble yourselves, thereforeโฆcasting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for youโ (1 Pt. 5:6-7). Casting my worries and anxieties on the Lord, which happens first in worship, is the only way to show God that I am detached from my worries and focused on His will.
Works of mercy are the third powerful ingredient identified by Sheen for this antidote recipe. โSometimes,โ he wrote, โthe best way to get out of a hole is to dig the neighbor out of hisโ (โWorry And Anxiety Experiencedโ). His conclusion was that taking on the burdens and anxieties of others was a way to mortify oneโs own ego (that is, humility) and put oneโs own selfish pleasures into a larger perspective. It is counter-intuitive, but the reduction of my ego and seeing the blessings in my own lifeโeven the small onesโis the sure way to overcome anxiety, to find peace and fulfillment.
So I can see that worship, detachment, and works of mercy provide the antidote against anxiety. Rather than worrying about my endless litany of problems, I turn to the Lord, trusting that He will reveal their solutions. Then, I can turn to others, trusting that God wants me to be a part of solutions for them. As I learn to be focused on what He directs and provides, more than what I desire or expect, I experience the abundant life Jesus promised.
Photo by Ahmed Nishaath on Unsplash
