Fasting From Worry

I wonder if perhaps we are called to fast from worry this Lent.

Yes, many of the policies currently being implemented by persons with political power are contrary to our Gospel values and are certainly a cause for worry. However, to worry implies that we, rather than God, are at the helm of our life and the world. As Alan Jones notes, “even our despair is to be given up and seen as the ego-grasping device that it really is.” Worry, anxiety, and despair ultimately are reflections of our desire to be in control. Freeing ourselves from this desire enables us to respond to our individual call to serve the body of Christ. Then the kingdom of God—where all persons know they are loved, have what they need, and are free from fear—is closer to fulfillment.

I suggest the following Lenten practice: Place a bowl and some small stones in your prayer space. Every day, choose a stone and voice a worry about your own life, the lives of your loved ones, or the world. Then place the stone and your worry in your offering bowl and lift the bowl to God as you pray, “You, O God, are my rock of safety and my source of peace. Into your hands I place my worries. Guide me in your way.”