Be at Peace Saint Francis de Sales Do not look forward in fear to the changes and chances of this life; Rather, look to them with full confidence that, as they arise, God, to whom you belong will in His love enable you to profit by them. He has guided you thus far in life, and He will lead you safely through all trials; and when you cannot stand it, God will bury you in His arms. Do not fear what may happen tomorrow; the same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you then and every day. He will either shield you from suffering, or will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations. Amen.
A friend of mine recently shared this prayer with me which I found to be very comforting and appropriate for these times. We are encouraged by the new guidelines and the lowering of restrictions as compared with a year ago. This past weekend was one of coming back together after so much time apart. After Mass on Sunday, a woman spoke of her family’s party the day before and how giddy they were like a bunch of children with the joy of being together.
Yet for some people, the anxiety is still very real. What are the long term effects of the vaccine? Will the vaccine cover the new variants? Some health care workers refuse to take the vaccine for various reasons. Well, then maybe we shouldn’t?
I am not saying that we should not be asking these questions. They are good questions but I do believe that we should make the best decision possible based on reliable sources and then live in peace with our decision. As St. Frances says, “Do not look forward in fear to the changes and chances of this life; Rather, look to them with full confidence,” for in the end, everything is in the hands of God.
“He has guided you thus far in life, and He will lead you safely through all trials; and when you cannot stand it, God will bury you in His arms.”
What an uplifting and compassionate image, “God will bury you in His arms.” Perhaps you thought of a coffin (!), but I see an all-encompassing embrace that offers protection from all sides. God is a spirit, but only someone who has a deep relationship with God can see her/himself embraced by a God she/he cannot see.
Even if something should happen with the vaccine or future variants or long-term effects,
“He will either shield you from suffering,
or will give you unfailing strength to bear it. Be at peace, then, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations.”
As you reread or pray with this poem I hope you can see that the trust in God that is needed to live these words has to be a lifelong attitude that guides your life in any circumstance. Prayer is not a magic formula that gets us through the hard days, or negotiations of “you do this, Lord” and “I will do that”, but a relationship of conversation and confidence that we nurture and cultivate every day of our lives. Be at peace because God is always near and wants to be an active and continuous part of your life in the good times and the difficult ones.
Now we invite your thoughts. Please share in the comments section below. And while you’re here, continue on a virtual mission by reading more of our stories and reflections as we discover together how “We are Mission”.
We are Mission! 