Don't Worry About Tomorrow
A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS 

Saint Francis of Assisi didn't worry  about tomorrow. He knew that God would protect him, and his Order of Mendicants, and so he made the most out of every moment of today.  If we seek to be close to Jesus, to live in his daily Presence, then we cannot worry about anything.  Worrying begets worrying... in other words, the more you worry,  you'll worry more. There are many people who worry all the time. They worry about the house, the people who live in it, the nation...  and pretty soon their lives are nothing but worry. They think of nothing else. Not even God. And most of the time, there was nothing wrong to begin with. They make mountains out of molehills. But why? Don't they know that worrying doesn't work? Don't they know that nothing will change if they just worry?

Free yourselves from this fixation  about worrying. Stop worrying, and instead, spend your time in solitude with Jesus. Wouldn't we all love to have some solitude?  Problem is that we're so driven, always on the go, that solitude, while desirable in principal, would probably drive up crazy in reality. I know it does me. There was a time that I could quite easily sit on a veranda or walk in the woods, and feel perfectly relaxed and happy, because I wasn't worrying. But now  I'm not so sure I can still do this. Now I'd get fidgety when nothing happens for five minutes. 

Solitude is good for us. It allows us to wind down interiorly. Finding a place to practice being alone with Jesus is harder. I live in a community for people aged 55  or older. It is very quiet here, and when seasonal residents go back up north, it is even quieter. You begin to hear birds singing outside. They were there all the time, but we have to be quiet to hear them. As we hear birds we also hear God through his wonderful creation. The rustling of the wind in the trees, however not often heard in Florida because palm trees do not make much sound when the wind blows through them.

The crashing of the waves on the beach cover a multitude of sounds we do not want to hear. Televisions and radios shut off, at home, brings wonderful silence. Let silence be your friend. Do not worry when you are in a period of silence about  anything that happens. If a door creaks or slams, pray for the person who caused this. In fact, anywhere where you feel disturbed, pray for those who make you feel disturbed. Let us return to interior prayer, a prayer not necessarily on our lips but deep within for anything that causes unwanted noise, for anything that breaks our peace, all day long. Before you know it, you'll begin to worry much less, because you've displaced your tendency to worry with prayer. This deep prayer is what causes us to feel the Lord's Presence within us... and to then be the holy people we were consecrated to be at our Baptism.

As Catholics, we follow Jesus Christ. We search for Him and then know that to love and adore Him means to emulate Him. In this day and age when everything seems to lead to prideful behavior, behavior far away from the humble Christ, let us be Christ to others. We can't ever do this if we worry about everything, so stop worrying, Jesus is with you, and with Him in the core of your being, what could go wrong? Nothing! Then be Christ to others in a new way by bringing the Good News of Jesus to many other people, family members, neighbors in an ever widening circle. Keep the knowledge that He is with you deep in the core of your being,  your soul, and there speak to Him frequently by praying for all sorts of good causes. And pretty soon, you'll become more aware that He is with you every step of the way!

When you begin to realize God within you, you'll be a new person. You'll stop worrying about everything, because there is really no longer any need to worry. But the reverse is also true, when you live apart from God, you worry. And  the further away you live from God, the more you begin to worry. Worrying is a lack of trust in Jesus. When we do not trust Him to help us, we often are totally lost. Also, for many people, worrying becomes addictive. Sin becomes addictive too, if you'll allow it to be. So stop beating up on yourself; even with God's help only you  can stop worrying. There is no magic formula in prayer... prayer demands action to a certain extent. You have to want to make prayer work.

Some people, unfortunately, do not  understand what needs to be done to reverse a need they have. It is only through prayer that they learn within themselves what they need to do to be healthy, and stay that way. Yes, I believe in the power of prayer. Many people are healed from cancer and other conditions they did not cause, because of their deep faith in God, and the faith of the others who prayed for that person. And we must thank our benefactors, those who pray for us, by praying for them. All who read this simple message, be at peace!

May God bless  you, and keep you well!

 Fred Schaeffer, OFS

 bc245, 2007 repub/rev. Nov. 21, 2024

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