Beautifully said Father. It seems to me that the Protestant theologian, Paul Tillich (1886 to 1965) who opposed the Nazis and was forced to flee Germany, captured the geography of anxiety as our fears associated with guilt, meaninglessness and death. In many respects, the anxiety is evidence of our conscience seeking to resolve a gap. I think it was Bishop Fulton Sheen who identified neurosis as rooted in unresolved guilt. Many therapists come from the constructivist schools of psychology which are harmful and numb the conscience, contrary to sound Catholic anthropology. A good priest/pastor, not just a good Catholic therapist, is schooled in this regard.
Thanks. I am reading some Tillich for the first time. It is good to have some psychological knowledge and sensitivity as a pastor, and then the wisdom and pastoral care to refer to professionals when that is called for.
Father, I agree. You may find even more helpful is to read Dr Frank Lake (1914—1982), a psychiatrist, who wrote Clinical Theology, 2 volumes (subtitle: A Theological and Psychiatric Basis to Clinical Pastoral Care). His tome is one of the best guides for pastors who he believed were often the first and most frequent contact with depressed and anxious people in need of Christ’s healing.
Father Nicholas, this is spot on and needs to be said more often. Thank you for acknowledging that faith and fear can go together and that anxiety does not mean someone is lacking in trust in God or faith. I am working on a book that I hope will be a trauma-informed path of spiritual growth where fears are integrated rather than renounced. Please pray for me and for those who need to hear what you shared and need to know that God understands the human heart.
I know I replied to you elsewhere about this concept of "Do it for fun," but I just need to say how much it has stayed with me. It is a key that has unlocked a drawer in my mind where, because I'm a perfectionist, I have kept all the things I'm afraid to do. One by one, I'm beginning to pull those locked up papers out of that metaphorical drawer and finally do them "just for fun." From writing articles here or submitting poems for publication elsewhere...or even praying more regularly (and, yes, I've discovered I sometimes avoid prayer because I'm a perfectionist and feel like I'm "awful at prayer"...oh, how the enemy whispers ridiculous and unbelievably believable lies!) All that to say thank you, Father, for by sharing this you brought a little more freedom to my soul and I'd bet others, too.
I really appreciate it. I think many of us were raised with the idea of “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” There is certainly value in the phrase.
A few years ago, I discovered another phrase that helped me a lot. “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing poorly.” Sometimes, we just have to start.
Sunday’s homily is going to 🔥
Thank you Fr., for writing this, today. I needed to hear this.
Beautifully said Father. It seems to me that the Protestant theologian, Paul Tillich (1886 to 1965) who opposed the Nazis and was forced to flee Germany, captured the geography of anxiety as our fears associated with guilt, meaninglessness and death. In many respects, the anxiety is evidence of our conscience seeking to resolve a gap. I think it was Bishop Fulton Sheen who identified neurosis as rooted in unresolved guilt. Many therapists come from the constructivist schools of psychology which are harmful and numb the conscience, contrary to sound Catholic anthropology. A good priest/pastor, not just a good Catholic therapist, is schooled in this regard.
Thanks. I am reading some Tillich for the first time. It is good to have some psychological knowledge and sensitivity as a pastor, and then the wisdom and pastoral care to refer to professionals when that is called for.
Father, I agree. You may find even more helpful is to read Dr Frank Lake (1914—1982), a psychiatrist, who wrote Clinical Theology, 2 volumes (subtitle: A Theological and Psychiatric Basis to Clinical Pastoral Care). His tome is one of the best guides for pastors who he believed were often the first and most frequent contact with depressed and anxious people in need of Christ’s healing.
Father Nicholas, this is spot on and needs to be said more often. Thank you for acknowledging that faith and fear can go together and that anxiety does not mean someone is lacking in trust in God or faith. I am working on a book that I hope will be a trauma-informed path of spiritual growth where fears are integrated rather than renounced. Please pray for me and for those who need to hear what you shared and need to know that God understands the human heart.
I know I replied to you elsewhere about this concept of "Do it for fun," but I just need to say how much it has stayed with me. It is a key that has unlocked a drawer in my mind where, because I'm a perfectionist, I have kept all the things I'm afraid to do. One by one, I'm beginning to pull those locked up papers out of that metaphorical drawer and finally do them "just for fun." From writing articles here or submitting poems for publication elsewhere...or even praying more regularly (and, yes, I've discovered I sometimes avoid prayer because I'm a perfectionist and feel like I'm "awful at prayer"...oh, how the enemy whispers ridiculous and unbelievably believable lies!) All that to say thank you, Father, for by sharing this you brought a little more freedom to my soul and I'd bet others, too.
I really appreciate it. I think many of us were raised with the idea of “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” There is certainly value in the phrase.
A few years ago, I discovered another phrase that helped me a lot. “If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing poorly.” Sometimes, we just have to start.
God bless you.