As Catholic Christians, we turn to our faith in God to help us through times of struggle, uncertainty, and change. I often hear faith-filled parishioners say they don’t know how they would get through a major crisis or loss without their faith! The Risen Jesus knew we need His reassurance to help us rely on Him in faith, so most of his Resurrection appearances begin with either “Peace be with you” or “Do not be afraid.” There is a peace that only God can give. It does not always mean the absence of struggles, but a serene acceptance of the things that are out of our control. Our faith allows us to surrender these things into God’s hands and focus instead on what we can do, the difference we can make. Acting in the face of challenges often requires us to let go of fear, like Jesus taught us, and pray for courage - a gift of the Holy Spirit.
A prayer that sums this up in memorable, poetic language is known as “The Serenity Prayer.” People often memorize the first four lines of the prayer (popularized through Twelve Step groups) as a powerful prayer to use in the midst of struggles. The full prayer, written by theologian Reinhold Neibuhr, shows its deep roots in Christian faith. A recent book,
The Way of Serenity by Jonathan Morris, helps to unpack the richness of the initial lines and how important these principles are for our spiritual and mental wellbeing. I hope these words are helpful to your prayer life and your serenity amidst whatever challenges you may be experiencing these days. If we remember Jesus’ Resurrection greetings and turn to Him in prayer, He will lead us as we move forward in His peace!
The Serenity Prayer God, grant me the Serenity
To Accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And Wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.
Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it.
Trusting that He will make all things right
If I surrender to His will.
That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with Him forever in the next.
Amen.