A deer is drinking water in a stream. It is calm and being refreshed from the cool water. Then it hears the snap of a twig. She freezes, her entire body tenses, endorphins kick in, breathing slows, the heart begins to race, it is hyper alert and ready to run. Her nose twitches and smells another known deer and, in a few moments, sees it coming closer. Not a predator, her mind and body begin to relax and within a few minutes she has returned to her natural, calm state.

The natural ways of God’s creation can help us in our modern, fast-paced, and technological world. God created us as human beings, as Aristotle identified us, rational animals. As human beings we too have emotions, and they are good. Anxiety is healthy as an emotion, can protect and keep us out of harm’s way as it does with the deer. It can also help us to get moving, enhance our performance, and is a sign that we care about what we do and have concern for those that we hold close to our hearts.

The problem arises when we still feel a heightened sense of anxiety after the stimulus passes, and we do not, like the deer, return to our original calm state. This is what we can glean from Paul in our second reading from today.

“Brothers and sisters: Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).

To be anxiety free is not possible nor is it healthy. Having our anxiety aligned in the proper order is the key. We face many stressors in our lives. The challenge for us is to resist the temptation to get into our minds and create false scenarios based on real or perceived threats and not only keep playing them in endless thought loops but create worse case scenarios to then increase our anxiety even more.

When faced with something distressing or anxiety producing we are to turn to God in prayer, do our part, and trust that he will guide, provide, and take care of us. We may have traumas from our past that make this more of a challenge, and here it is important to talk to someone to help bring those issues out of our minds and into the light where they have less potential and power to be debilitating.

In the case of chemical imbalances or actual anxiety disorders which are inhibiting someone from functioning, falling into serious distress, or seriously hampering their relationships, medication and therapy in conjunction with prayer and spiritual direction will be helpful.

In most cases of anxiety though, we can manage our levels with a proper balance of conscious deep breaths, physical exercise, proper rest and diet, including enough water, as well as foundational spiritual practices of Mass, the sacraments, reading, praying, and meditating with the Bible and the Rosary, and making time to just be still and present with God.

Turning to God and others we trust with our anxious thoughts also will help to defuse the mental assaults of the enemy who throws darts of temptation, accusation, condemnation, shame, half-truths, and outright lies at us in the attempt to isolate us from God and one another and lead us into desolation. Spending time each day thinking about what we are grateful for is a good counter move and will help us to feel more consolation.

Breathing, receiving, resting, and abiding in God’s love as often as we can, will lead us to experience the affirmation that he loves us no matter what we have done, receive his guidance that will lead us through any trial, conflict, or trauma, and his truth that we are not defined by our emotions. It is good to experience our emotions but be sure to make the distinction that we are not defined by them.

When anxious thoughts arise while in a stressful situation and definitely after it has passed, as soon as we notice those thoughts, we need to turn to and allow ourselves to trust in Jesus. The more we do so, we will experience his love, be reminded of who and whose we truly are, and know that we are not alone in anything we are going through. With each affirming experience, we will be grounded in “the peace that surpasses all understanding which will guard our hearts and minds” from any and all mental attacks.

Photo: My evening routine to decompress: Rosary walk around the lake, breathing and taking in the wonder of God’s evening displays of wonder! St. Vincent De Paul Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach, FL.

Link for the Mass readings for Sunday, October 8, 2023