Reflection for 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time

“Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God”, says St. Paul in today’s second reading. Have no anxiety? That’s hard to do these days with all the scary news about covid-19. That’s hard to do when we have to be so careful to go out. That’s hard to do when we are placed in furlough or when our job disappears. That’s hard to do as we witness the many demands of racial justice and the impact on our society. That’s hard to do when we deal with illness. Many of us have been deeply challenged to not be anxious, to pray with a spirit of thanksgiving. What do Paul’s words mean to us?

It can be easy for us to be filled with anxiety, to wonder if God has abandoned us, or at least forgotten us lately. Some worry about job stability, health care, having enough for retirement. Others deal with the challenges of maintaining a marriage and family life that is strong and vibrant. Still others become anxious about being a strong parent. So how can we come to be without anxiety, without fear? Paul tells us that prayer and trust in God will help us achieve inner peace. Sometimes, believing that – really believing it – can be a real challenge for us. Paul does not say the reason for the anxiety will go away, but that we can come to live with it through prayer and the right attitude. And in last Sunday’s reading, he said that the right attitude is the attitude of Christ, who humbled himself to death on the cross. Anxiety and fear push us further into ourselves, often making us more likely to lash out. We need his peace, we need lower anxiety levels, if we are to value life in ourselves and others.

Paul reminds us to make our requests and needs known to God. “Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” He reminds us that, even when we are anxious and troubled – no, especially when we are anxious and troubled – our faith will get us through. “Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard. Then the God of peace will be with you.”

So, the next time worry and anxiety and fear try to grab hold of your life and your heart, think of Paul’s message, mustering faith each day and praying with thanksgiving, even in the tough days. Often those prayers aren’t answered as we hoped. The baby dies. The cancer spreads. The job is lost. The child doesn’t kick drugs. But those prayers do heal us because they do something very important – they help us to face the next day. “Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and souls in Christ Jesus.”

If you have a brief faith reflection on today’s reading that you would like to share, please send it to me at deaconruss@holyspiritunoh.org.