If you suffer from anxiety, you need to know the most repeated advice in the Bible
Patty Knap | Aug 27, 2017
It comes at us 365 times. God really, really wants us to be at peace.
Many people probably think the most common phrase in the Bible has something to do with “don’t” or “thou shalt not” or maybe “love one another.”
Actually the most repeated advice throughout the Old and the New Testaments is, “Do not be afraid!”
You might already be familiar with a few Scripture verses where this loving exhortation is made: When the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, for example, announcing that she would be the Mother of Our Savior. Or when Joseph heard these words upon learning that he was to be the earthly father of Jesus: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 1:20)
As Jesus was about to be born in Bethlehem, another angel appeared to the three kings (the wise men) with the same encouraging words.
When Zechariah was told that his wife would conceive a child in her old age, “he was terrified; and fear overwhelmed him. / But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.” (Luke 1:12-13)
In fact, there are many, many times beyond these Christmas verses when the Bible encourages us to not be afraid.
At the Transfiguration of Jesus, the disciples fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. / But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” (Matthew 17:6-7)
All together some form of Do not be afraid is repeated 365 times throughout Scripture!
So many of our daily worries big and small revolve around some kind of fear of what will happen. Anxiety consumes much of our energy: Will he be okay on that trip? Will she have a car accident? Can I ever forgive my sibling? Am I doing what God wants of me in this situation? What will the medical testing tell us? Will his addiction get worse? Am I making the right decision? Will I really see my loved ones in heaven? Endless questions swirl in our heads, and to each God reminds us to turn to Him in prayer and trust.
Read more: Be Not Afraid: A Lesson from the Deep End
In Revelation 2:10, we’re encouraged, “Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
In Deutoronomy 31:6 we’re encouraged to put our trust in God, that He will not abandon us when we put Him first in our life: “Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the LORD your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.”
In Psalm 27:1, we’re reminded that no earthly disappointment can destroy us: “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
In Jeremiah 1:8, we read, “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.”
In Matthew 10:28, we read, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Luke 12:7 tells us, “But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
In John 6:20, we read that when the disciples saw Jesus walking toward them on the water, He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.”
St. John Paul II began his papacy with the crucial reminder, “Be not afraid!” This saint of our times constantly urged us to accept the peace Christ offers us, and to trust always in His love and mercy.
Praying this litany will give you peace about the past and future
Sr. Faustina Maria Pia, SV | Jul 13, 2017
This beautifully written prayer by a Sister of Life will cast away so many anxieties.
Litany of Trust
From the belief that I have to earn Your love
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear that I am unlovable
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the false security that I have what it takes
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear that trusting You will leave me more destitute
Deliver me, Jesus.
From all suspicion of Your words and promises
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the rebellion against childlike dependency on You
Deliver me, Jesus.
From refusals and reluctances in accepting Your will
Deliver me, Jesus.
From anxiety about the future
Deliver me, Jesus.
From resentment or excessive preoccupation with the past
Deliver me, Jesus.
From restless self-seeking in the present moment
Deliver me, Jesus.
From disbelief in Your love and presence
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being asked to give more than I have
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the belief that my life has no meaning or worth
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of what love demands
Deliver me, Jesus.
From discouragement
Deliver me, Jesus.
That You are continually holding me, sustaining me, loving me
Jesus, I trust in you.
That Your love goes deeper than my sins and failings, and transforms me
Jesus, I trust in you.
That not knowing what tomorrow brings is an invitation to lean on You
Jesus, I trust in you.
That you are with me in my suffering
Jesus, I trust in you.
That my suffering, united to Your own, will bear fruit in this life and the next
Jesus, I trust in you.
That You will not leave me orphan, that You are present in Your Church
Jesus, I trust in you.
That Your plan is better than anything else
Jesus, I trust in you.
That You always hear me and in Your goodness always respond to me
Jesus, I trust in you.
That You give me the grace to accept forgiveness and to forgive others
Jesus, I trust in you.
That You give me all the strength I need for what is asked
Jesus, I trust in you.
That my life is a gift
Jesus, I trust in you.
That You will teach me to trust You
Jesus, I trust in you.
That You are my Lord and my God
Jesus, I trust in you.
That I am Your beloved one
Jesus, I trust in you.
• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Catholic_Devotion_and_Prayers/ ----
When I say "Hail Mary",
the heavens bow down,
the angels rejoice;
the earth jubilates,
hell trembles;
and the devils take flight!
St. Francis of Assisi
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Michael, Michael of the morning,
Fresh chord of Heaven adorning,
Keep me safe today,
And in time of temptation
Drive the devil away.
Amen.
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I will hear what the Lord God will speak
(Psa 85:8-9) I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me: for he will speak peace unto his people: And unto his saints: and unto them that are converted to the heart. Surely his salvation is near to them that fear him : that glory may dwell in our land.
Fr Brian McCoy SJ.: One of Ignatius’ gifts was to encourage people to be active in the world but also to be contemplative – people who could enjoy the depths of silence as much as the heights of social engagement. A tricky balance. Without this balance of contemplation and action we can easily become either inwardly self-focussed, even narcissistic, or outwardly other-focussed and superficial. We can either withdraw from the world or we get caught up in it. I suspect that, in our ever-busy and demanding world, the latter becomes the more real possibility. We risk making quick and impulsive decisions, responses arising out of heat and emotion. We don’t take enough time to consider with care and to listen to our deeper spirit selves before responding. I recommend the quiet and prayerful space of Sevenhill. I know that not everyone can easily access such a resource. However, it is here to remind us to treasure space, quiet and silence, to listen to and respect the deeper movements of our hearts and souls, to respond to the issues of the day with conviction but calmly and respectfully. The gift of contemplation enriches those important decisions we need to make.
MARK MALLET BLOG: Fake News, Real Revolution *
https://www.markmallett.com/blog/2017/08/21/fake-news-real-revolution/
EXCERPT ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT ADDRESS: What’s next: Catholics, America and a world made new
So what do we do about our situation? How do we live the Gospel faithfully in such a different new culture? It’s part of our American DNA to want a well-crafted strategic plan to get the Church back in the “influence game.” But cultures aren’t corporations or math problems. They’re living organisms. There’s no quick fix for problems we behaved ourselves into, and the culture we have is a culture we helped make with our appetites, distractions and compromises.
The only way to create new life in a culture is to live our lives joyfully and fruitfully, as individuals ruled by convictions greater than ourselves and shared with people we know and love. It’s a path that’s very simple and very hard at the same time. But it’s the only way to make a revolution that matters.
When young people ask me how to change the world, I tell them to love each other, get married, stay faithful to one another, have lots of children, and raise those children to be men and women of Christian character. Faith is a seed. It doesn’t flower overnight. It takes time and love and effort. Money is important, but it’s never the most important thing. The future belongs to people with children, not with things. Things rust and break. But every child is a universe of possibility that reaches into eternity, connecting our memories and our hopes in a sign of God’s love across the generations. That’s what matters. The soul of a child is forever.
If you want to see the face of Europe in 100 years, barring a miracle, look to the faces of young Muslim immigrants. Islam has a future because Islam believes in children. Without a transcendent faith that makes life worth living, there’s no reason to bear children. And where there are no children, there’s no imagination, no reason to sacrifice, and no future. At least six of Europe’s most senior national leaders have no children at all. Their world ends with them. It’s hard to avoid a sense that much of Europe is already dead or dying without knowing it.
But here, we still have time. And here, in this room, today, what can we start to do?
Hell has been described in a lot of ways, from a soulless bureaucracy, to a furnace of fire, to a lake of ice. But I think C.S. Lewis put it best in one of his novels when he says that hell is noise. If that’s true, and I think it is, then much of the modern life we share we also make hellish, by filling it with discord, confusion and noise. Every day, every one of our choices is a brick in the structure of the heaven or hell we’re building for ourselves in the next life. And we’ll never understand that unless we turn off the noise that cocoons us in consumer anxieties and appetites.
Silence is water in the desert of modern desire. God spoke to Elijah not in the majesty of a storm but in a small voice heard only in silence. When Cardinal Robert Sarah writes about “the power of silence” – his book, The Power of Silence, is terrific by the way; buy it from Ignatius Press – he reminds us that God renews the world by first renewing each precious, immortal individual person in the quiet of his or her soul. God is not absent from the world. We just make it impossible to hear him. So the first task of the Christian life today is to unplug, carve out the silence that allows us to listen for God’s voice, and make room for the conversation we call prayer.
If we don’t pray, we can’t know and love God. C.S. Lewis reminds us that we’re embodied spirits. Our bodies are part of our prayer. We can and we should pray anytime and everywhere. But kneeling down in worship at some point in the day acknowledges that the God of Israel is the God who made the stars without number. It helps us remember God’s words to Job: “Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?” (Job 38:4). Our humility in prayer is an act of justice. Fear of the Lord – the respect and worship due our Creator – is the beginning of wisdom. And wisdom, as I said earlier, is the framework of a fully human life.
So we need to create silence. We need to pray. And we need to read – above all the Word of God, but also history and biographies and great novels. If we don’t read, we condemn ourselves to chronic stupidity and a conditioning by mass media that have no sympathy for the things we believe. Television is not a channel for serious thought. It’s often just the opposite.
And the internet, for all its advantages, is too often a source of isolation. The Hulu television series, The Handmaid’s Tale, which is based on the Margaret Atwood feminist novel, is nominated for 13 Emmy Awards this year. It’s very well done. It’s also fiercely anti-religious in its content. The point is: If we fill our heads with poison and junk, we make ourselves angry and dumb.
Finally, we need to be skeptical about the world, while we also engage it with our faith. That means vigorously advancing our social ministries, which are vital expressions of Christian charity. It also means getting and staying involved politically. We can never build heaven on earth. But we can make this world at least a little more loving, free, merciful and just by our actions in the public square.
Ladder of Divine Ascent excerpt: Step 15- "On incorruptible purity and chastity"
17. Throughout your life, do not trust your body, and do not rely on it till you stand before Christ.
• http://www.catholicprophecy.info/ladder.html *
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"Madame Saint Mary is holding me up by my feet ..."
There once was a thief of great skill and repute. He venerated the Mother of God with such abusive confidence that, whenever he prepared for an expedition, he first placed himself under her protection, then departed with great resolve.
We must say that if he happened to meet, after a fruitful operation, a poor man or an unfortunate woman, for the sake of Our Lady, he hastened to help them by despoiling himself of a portion of his newly-acquired riches.
Eventually, he was caught in the act and sentenced to be hanged. We can imagine that he did not fail at this supreme hour to pray to the one whom he loved so much. And Our Lady, who never abandons her children, heard him. With her white hands under the feet of the wretch, she supported him in such a way that he felt neither pain nor discomfort.
On the third day, those who had hanged him came to see how things were, and could not believe their eyes: At the end of the rope, our thief was alive and well, and he greeted them with these words: "Madame Saint Mary is holding me up by my feet and she has her hand on my throat." He was promptly detached, and on the same day he became a monk, devoting himself to Our Lady.
Gautier de Coincy
Les plus beaux miracles de la Vierge (The most beautiful miracles of the Virgin), F. Lanore Editor, Paris
Read more on mariedenazareth.com:
Our Lady of Pellevoisin
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Powerful Book Enlightens On Evil
August 18, 2017 by sd
It’s surprising, how relatively undiscovered Father Christopher Ngozi Onuoha is. In a chock-filled and powerful book that can benefit just about anyone, he has compiled a vast array of insights into spiritual warfare and healing.
It may not be the most refined or swiftly read of books, but it more than makes up for that with the sheer number of interesting facts he presents. It’s one of those books that you pick up, open randomly, and start reading — usually finding an interesting, relevant passage.
For example, the role of negativity.
This is a plague of our times and, states Father Onuoha, it is a magnet for dark asomatous forces.
Picture“They can easily pick up, and are attracted by, negative emotions around us,” says the priest, who is originally from Nigeria — educated in medical technology — and now a priest in Omaha (where we have an upcoming retreat covering some of the same issues).
“These negative vibrations include, among others: unforgiveness, anger, fear, doubts, unbelief, impatience, lying, all forms of impurity and immorality, bad thoughts, idleness, daydreaming, and fantasies — as well as New Age and occult curiosity. These human actions emote negative signals that demons can pick up.
“Demons hang around persons involved in these activities that generate negative emotions or energy. This is very much like emotional vibrations that people can pick up when others are tense or angry.
“In short, any human actions that violate God’s Commandments and the official teachings of the Church make such persons beehives of evil spirit activity. Negative energy draws evil spirits just like flies are drawn by foul or rotten smell around carcasses.”
It isn’t just the occult that (literally) raises hell.
Restudy the seven cardinal sins.
They are all entrance ways.
Often, it gets back to the big three: lust, greed, and blasphemy.
Image result for michael and demonsThink of it: lust can be not just sexual but also for food, drink, and other such things. Greed is not just about money but also wanting, wanting, and wanting more — more attention, more power. Blasphemy is not just using God’s Name in vain but also using the occult or doubting His Power.
“Any level of demonic influence if left unchecked can create serious problems of health and well-being,” writes Father Onuoha in Healing You and Your Family Tree.“Demons do not like us bringing things, especially negative events in our lives, into the light or sharing our hearts with God. They behave like bats that hide in the darkness; as soon as light comes in, they flee.
“Demons also behave like flies. They like to attach to wounded areas of our being, especially spiritual, emotional, and psychological wounds; there, they form nests or strongholds. Even though demons mask and disguise themselves, people with spiritual sight can detect and discern their activities behind the masks. The Holy Spirit’s gift of Knowledge equips us to unmask demonic deceptions and lies.”
Again, greed is not just material. It can be spiritual — religious.
“We can be attached to spiritual goods just as we can be attached to material goods,” says the priest. “For religious persons and those aspiring to high spiritual standards, greed it a potential threat. Greed will tend to keep the letter of the vow, but not to the spirit of the vow. This will ultimately bring the greedy person to a dead end. Greed of this kind can lead to attachment to religious practices and devotions without any interior conviction. There is no authentic relationship with God. Jesus says of these people that their worship and honor is only lip service, their hearts are not with God (Mark 7:6).”
Thus must we be cautious not only about obvious sin, but also looking at the dark side of things and people, being legalistic more than we are loving, focusing on the negative in a person or circumstance, instead of seeing the potential Grace and goodness and potential to learn.
Truly, each moment lived right is a gift.
[resources: Healing You and Your Family Tree]
[see also: article on Father Onuoha and his website]
[Feedback: “Thanks for drawing attention to the hugely important issue of generational healing. I will be brief here, but I wanted to pose to you, what I believe, is an overlooked element in generational redemption. The bond that links generations is a salvific mechanism which God uses to bring about his good purposes. It is like a live wire of electricity. When that wire has been frayed by sin, just like an electronic device, God’s flow of grace cannot flow unimpeded to protect and heal those in that lineage. Prayers of deliverance splices the pathway of grace and heals the breach.
“The eruption of so much societal sin, of which you mention in your article, is because the family and generational schema which God has ordained as normative for redeeming his creation has been corrupted. Many of the young people I come across have no interest in their family tree. Their disdain often includes the elderly in general. The fractured families of today are like a short circuit in the junction box of creation. When the traditional family is rejected we get the mutation of rancor which claims realities which are far from the Lord. The whole gender confusion is a good example.
“Without a family structure, God cannot work supernaturally to heal and to save. Without an esteem for our generational heritage, we cannot be fully poised to receive what God desires to offer us.” Jeff Crane, Pastoral Associate J+M+J| St. Mary Cathedral | Gaylord, Michigan]
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