For students facing anxiety in the new school year, there is hope – and it doesn’t require too much homework to be found. Open up the Bible, and there are dozens of passages that offer respite from worry.
“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light,” Theo Deluhery read from Matthew 11:28-30.
“What does this mean for us?” he asked. “How are you being burdened in high school? That’s a hard question, but it’s also a healthy question and one that needs to be asked.”
Deluhery, a seminarian for the Diocese of Camden, gathered ahead of the new school year with the youth ministry of Saint Peter Parish in Merchantville to talk about how young people could come to better know God’s Word and feel more confident in turning to the Bible – not just in times of anxiety or depression, but in joy and learning, too.
Among the pressures students may face, he acknowledged: assignments, the balance between school and work, pressure from themselves and pressure from parents. Deluhery himself is a student at the College Seminary of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Andrew’s Hall, Seton Hall University in South Orange.
“To me, the fall is a season of growth and new beginnings. It’s my time to restart,” he said. “In the summer, you’re always busy. But in the fall, it gets cool, the winds start blowing and the leaves are falling. It’s a time to ease into self.”
While young people may find it stressful to look at the year ahead – or even further, college – there is hope. “When I can’t see the big picture, I’ve found what helps is to remember that God gives us the grace to still look forward to what is yet to come.”
What can help with that process is setting goals, like seeing a friend or going to the gym after finishing one’s homework or studying for a test. But first must come completing the task at hand.
“We can’t do the things that we like first. I mean, we can, but then it takes away from the purpose of those things that are good,” he said. “When we say, ‘Why don’t we do this now [friends, gym instead of homework]’ … you can’t find the motivation to accomplish your goal.”
Continuing to reflect on the Gospel of Matthew, Deluhery urged all to focus on the joyful labor of youth. “Make your assignments an adventure, push yourselves to create.”
And along the way, when facing hardships in school, find the Lord.
“Build your friendships on Christ,” he said. “Pray together as friends, encourage your friends to go to Mass. Pray before games, before club meetings, before homework. Pray for your friends, your family, your teachers. Do these things as an extension of your life. … God calls us to be this witness.”
Self-reflecting questions to help with anxiety
- What are your anxieties?
- In what ways do you think God might aid you in this trial?
- Why can you trust God to help you? What verse(s) in the Bible speak to your heart?
- What or why is it hard to trust God with your worries?
- Can we ask God to help us when we have difficulty trusting Him?
Bible verses on anxiety and fear
Isaiah 41:10: “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
2 Kings 20:5: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you.”
2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
Deuteronomy 31:6: “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
Luke 12:22-26: “… Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you, by being anxious, can add a single hour to his span of life?”
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