Philippians 4:6 "Be Anxious About Nothing"
I read Philippians 4:6 this morning as I sipped my coffee. I had already caught up on the daily news, flipping between the various offerings on television. I was feeling a bit hopeless, not in God mind you, but in humanity. So I decided to play a little Bible Roulette. You know, where you hold the Bible in both hands, let it fall open to a particular page, and with eyes closed drop your finger on a verse or two.
I got Philippians. Two passages in Scripture haunt me. One is "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." Yikes. The other is, "Be anxious about nothing." The homepage of my life is anxiety, so I was not surprised that God would torture, I mean bless me with that verse for today. It beats getting that other verse again. By the way, I typed that with a smile...
Why am I anxious? For me it is a psychological disposition. I am by nature friendly, usually smiley, always looking for the humor in life, somewhat territorial and short tempered with injustice. All this is fueled by a rather large basket of anxiety and nervous energy.
I'd like to change. I've tried to pray it away. I give it to Jesus nearly every morning upon arising and every evening as my head hits the pillow. It is not a lack of faith. I trust Jesus with every fiber of my being. I know I am constantly protected by the prayers of the Blessed Mother and the Saints.
I have always tended to be anxious about most things. My mother was a terribly anxious person. I think I got it from her.
So. I got this passage today. I decided to pray over it ONCE AGAIN, and here is the meditation I got:
I have to tell you, I am anxious.
I am anxious about nothing:
I am anxious about those souls who know nothing about God.
I am anxious about Protestants who know nothing about the True Catholic Faith.
I am anxious about children who know nothing about parental love
I am anxious about the oppressed who know nothing of freedom
I am anxious about anyone who has nothing to eat day after day
I am anxious that some people, maybe even a neighbor, may feel they have nothing to live for.
There is a great deal of nothing about which we should be anxious enough to fill with the Mercy and Love of God.
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