Experience shows that preoccupied worrying leaves little time or attention for even the most basic of leisures. It drains our energy, stresses our mind, and continually shifts the focus of our lives inward, only upon ourselves. Overthinking is, as I like to say, a two-edged sword with no handle, and excessive worrying is a common problem that can only lead to worse stress.
Yet the wisdom of the Church is abundant, even as regards this widespread modern phenomenon. In this article, I especially want to focus on three particular habit-forming prayers which are powerful for combatting stress and re-orienting our vision towards the loving care of Our Lord.
I. The Litany of Trust
This is a truly powerful prayer. Composed of 29 simple, yet deeply meaningful petitions, The Litany of Trust is a good devotion for any time, and any place. A good way to intentionally pray with the Litany is to go through it slowly, focussing on the petitions which speak to you the most. It can even be helpful to repeat petitions, if you come to one that is especially applicable to your current prayer intentions. I have found that it is especially powerful to pair the Litany of Trust with the Divine Mercy Chaplet, since they are such similar forms of prayer.
https://sistersoflife.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Mobile-Litany-of-Trust.pdf
II. The Surrender Novena
Formed from the “living experience of the presence of Jesus in the prayer life of Father Dolindo Ruotolo,”1 this novena is a very valuable prayer. The daily meditations are filled with priceless truths, encouraging thoughtful contemplation. I have found the repeated prayer at the end of each day’s meditation to be particularly inspiring, “O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything!”2 The Surrender Novena is a wonderful prayer for realizing the extent of God’s gentle, merciful providence.
1 https://www.surrendernovena.
III. The Prayer of Abandonment
This short prayer is one which cuts immediately to the heart of many worries. Echoing the words of Jesus— “Father, I abandon myself into your hands”3— it is a prayer of total trust and complete surrender. This is one of the best prayers to pray when faced with a difficult decision or a struggle in life. When we offer our life to God with all the love of our hearts,4 we open our souls to the acceptance of His many graces.
https://www.charlesdefoucauld.org/en/priere.php
These three prayers inspire confidence in God’s providence. The stress of modern living must never be allowed to shift our focus off of the Lord, for it is He Who cares about us. Each of these prayers hearkens back to Jesus’s words in Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap.” If we pray with trust and confidence— if we give our all to God— He will never disappoint, but will bestow on the trusting soul countless graces.
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2 Ibid.
3 Luke 23:46.
4 St. Charles de Foucauld, “Prayer of Abandonment.”
