Gulf Pine Catholic

8 Gulf Pine Catholic • September 27, 2024 As a Deacon, one of my biggest challenges is to show the faithful the beauty of marriage in the Catholic Church. In the Diocesan guide for Evangelization, Missio Nostra, “Our Mission,” written by Bishop Kihneman, much of what is written pertains to the family and how children should see marriage. The previous Director of Marriage and Family life, wrote a piece for Missio Nostra that I would like to share with you at this time. “Very young children understand love. They want to be physically close and important to us. We keep them close. We talk to them and show them how wonderful it is to be called a child of God and how special they are to us and to God. A young child’s expression of faith should not be squashed. They find it easy to believe in God. Even with toddlers, we can begin wondering aloud with them about God’s creation. Mary is easily introduced as the mommy of Jesus. A Nativity scene that a child can play with gives an opportunity to share the story of Jesus’s birth, Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, and the Wise Men’s visit.” The absolute best way to emphasize the value of the family is through the sacrifice of the Mass. Again, according to Missio Nostra it states, “The Mass is a celebration of thanksgiving for God’s generosity in our daily lives and an opportunity for us to bring to God the joys and sorrows we experience as a family. What do little ones need to know to fall in love with the Body and Blood of Christ? What do they need to realize that they are not alone, but that during Mass they join a community of faith and a community of Saints in communion with Heaven? Mass provided special moments to help little ones face losses and learn about gratitude. Living a Eucharistic life leads to communion and intimacy with Christ. We go to Mass to offer the best of ourselves to God and not necessarily to be entertained. Even so, it can be hard for adults to focus at Mass, and it is understandable that children may also struggle to pay attention. Using a children’s missal can be helpful. No matter the age, gentle guidance can help a child in appreciating, respecting, and loving the Mass.” In our secular society, we fall into a fruitless habit. We are looking for all the right things in all the wrong places. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. All of our answers about this life, and especially family life, are through Him. God Bless you all. Deacon Justin Mitchell is the Director of Marriage and Family Life for the Diocese of Biloxi. Marriage & Family Life Mitchell Children’s vision of marriage It doesn’t take much for life to spiral into chaos -- from simple deadlines and day-to- day requirements to the over- whelming unknowns. Anxiety is a common experience in the fast-paced, chaotic world we live in. It may not be possible to avoid anxiety, but it is possible to choose not to give it control of the direction in which a day goes. An example of defeating anxiety can be seen in the Book of Psalms, “When anxiety was great within me, your conso- lation brought me joy.” Psalm 94:19 This passage reassures us that we are not alone in our struggles. It shows us when anxiety is at a peak in our day, we can choose to transform it into joy. This verse in Psalms is like a beacon of light in a dark room. It gives us hope and promise towards peace and healing. It invites us to consider the source of comfort in times of stress and to recognize the joy God’s presence can bring, even in our darkest mo- ments. Like all things in life, learning to see comfort in the midst of chaos will take time and practice each day. Stress cannot take control of a person’s life overnight; it is caused by a collection of stressful moments and overwhelming experiences over time. The same applies when replacing stress and chaos with peace and comfort. It involves knowing that you are more than the chaos you feel surrounding you and you can overcome the suffocating feeling of stress. It involves working toward change. “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in God. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8 So how do we keep our minds focused on com- fort and peace? It revolves around a single word: daily. It begins by seeking God’s peace in prayer, scrip- ture, and fellowship. Mixing these three factors to- gether on a daily basis will not only alleviate one’s immediate reaction to stress, but it can also deepen one’s inner faith and build their resilience over time. “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.” Isa- iah 26:3 First, begin forming a habit of turning to prayer when faced with chaos or when feeling overwhelmed by stress. By presenting life’s concerns to God, the presence of peace and calmness is invited into the situation. Over time, prayer will become the first place to turn in the midst of chaos, rather than stress and worry. “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” Psalm 32:8 Second, we can immerse ourselves in scripture, drawing strength and encouragement from God’s promises. If you are not sure where to begin with scripture, I invite you to choose one of the verses used in this article. Turn to the chosen verse every day for at least one week before choosing to move on to another. Find ways to keep the verse at the front of your mind throughout the day by making it the home screen on your phone or writing the verse on a mirror you use to get ready each morning. Position it in places you visit often, and at the end of the week take time to reflect on how the verse influenced your thoughts and actions each day. If you want to take this exercise a step farther for lasting results, take a few moments at the end of the week to journal about your experience before mov- ing on to another verse Did the scripture speak to you in ways that were not expected? Were there parts of the week that stood out more than others? Can you see the small shifts beginning to occur by keeping scripture in focus throughout the day? “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.” Proverbs 12:25 Finally, we can seek fellowship by sharing our burdens and receiving support from our faith com- munity. Finding others who could be experiencing the same struggles, or have experienced them in the past, eliminates feeling alone and alienated in life. When we learn to openly discuss and share struggles and hardships, healing begins to occur in each expe- rience, and we are able to find closure and forgive- ness with ourselves and others of our past. God is always with us in the midst of life’s chal- lenges, sometimes it just takes learning how to see through the stress and worries of each day. Once we are able to focus on God’s peace in the middle of every storm, we begin to find comfort in the chaos. Ashley Bonney is a member of Most Holy Trinity Parish, Pass Christian. Comfort in chaos Bonney Guest Columnist