Who's The captain of Your Ship ?





"And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid..."

Roughly 1 in 5 people regularly suffer high levels of anxiety. Traditional causes of anxiety could be poor health, difficult relationships, unemployment, poverty and disadvantage, loneliness, work stress, and exposure to violence, difficult childhood, trauma, and conflict. Add to that the anxiety that is caused by our connectivity to the internet, modern technology and social media and you will find an epidemic of fear, depression, and anxiety.

I vividly remember how scared I felt as a child one night when I had a nightmare of wars and destruction. I woke up and ran to my mother who after listening to me asked me to repeat after her the words of  "Պահապան Ամենայնի  Christ, Guardian of all creatures" - a popular prayer of St. Nerses the Gracious of the 12th century. I learned from an early age to cast my anxiety to the Lord and I knew that He cared for me (1 Peter 5:7).

In the Gospel reading today we hear the words of Jesus that reveal to us how deep is God's knowledge of our condition and how valuable we are to God.

When anxiety is attacking you, I encourage you to not be flooded by those negative emotions and think about all the good deeds that God has done for you throughout the years.

Surrender your life to God. Let God be the captain of your ship because He certainly knows how to lead you to the harbor of peace.  

Yours,
Fr. Nareg
Read the Word of God: Today's readings are Wisdom 1:11-15; Lamentations 3:22-56; 1 Timothy 5:17-21; Matthew 10:26-33

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