September 23rd is the Memorial of St. Padre Pio. One of his most widely quoted mottos is, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.” This short and simple phrase seems easy enough to understand, but when it comes to actually following this in our lives, it can be much more challenging.
Looking at this phrase, I think the “don’t worry” part can be the most difficult part to follow. We know what the words mean, but what does it actually look like to put this into practice in our lives?
Naturally, we all worry, some more than others. We have all worried about something at one point or another. Students worry about a big test or presentation they have to do. Employees worry about a large project or a performance review. Family members worry about their family member who is sick. Parents worry about their kids. We worry about what people might think of us. We may worry about many smaller day to day events and situations as well. Most of the time when we worry, it’s because we care. We care and have concern for the people in our lives and we care about what we are doing and wanting to do well. But, we know that worry does not change anything.
Scripture talks a lot about not worrying. Two of these verses are, “can any of you be worrying add a single moment to your life-span” (Matthew 6:27, NABRE) and “do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil” (Matthew 6:34). We know we shouldn’t worry so much, but oftentimes, it’s a natural response to various moments of life.
What if we turned moments of worry into opportunities for prayer? Whenever we find ourselves worrying about something, we can turn to Jesus and give it to Him. We know that we are not in control. We must surrender and trust. Do we trust that Jesus is loving and merciful and that He is walking with us every step of the way? Do we trust that He will not abandon us, especially in our greatest times of need? The Litany of Trust, from the Sisters of Life, is one great prayer to help with working to trust Jesus more and more. When worry arises in our minds and hearts, we can acknowledge it, and then hand it over in prayer, releasing our thoughts so that we can be at peace.
There is a lot that goes on in the world and in our lives that might cause us to worry. Is there anything you are worried about today? If so, hand it to Jesus and know that He is walking with you. Know that you are not in control and surrender everything to Him. My prayer for today is that each of us can live by the words, “pray, hope, and don’t worry” and find peace in knowing Jesus is with us!
Faith and The Good Stuff 