How Prayer, Confession and Submission to the Will of God Can Ease Anxiety

Great Advice from Servant of God Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J

Have you noticed that more of your friends and acquaintances seem to be afflicted with mental distress?

Or maybe you have been afflicted in this way.

There's hope.

The U.S. Bishops have recently addressed the growing problem of mental illness in a practical and proactive way. They launched the National Catholic Mental Health Campaign in 2023. And two years later they put a greater emphasis on local programs surrounding this need. 

In the announcement of the program, they quoted medical authorities saying that in 2019 one in three high school students and half of female students reported feelings of persistent sadness or hopelessness, a 40% spike since 2009. And one in five adults experienced mental illness in 2021.

Our Church leaders have certainly addressed a real need.

A 23-year old writing on the social media platform Reddit complained of his childhood difficulties and how he now feels bitter toward his parents for not attending to his problem.

“I struggled so much throughout my childhood and adolescence, so many undiagnosed disorders and learning disabilities,” he said. “I can’t stop feeling angry when I think about it. My parents said they knew I had something, but never sought help….why was I ignored and never taken to a psychiatrist?”

Do theology and the spiritual life offer any solutions?

Where Theology Meets Psychology

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The late theologian Servant of God Father John A. Hardon, S.J. has addressed mental and emotional struggles by bridging the gap between psychology and theology. He viewed these challenges as not just clinical issues, but as opportunities for spiritual growth and deeper reliance on God.

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who will soon receive the title of Blessed, thought along the lines of Fr. Hardon on this topic. The archbishop was a strong proponent of the sacrament of confession as an authentic remedy against anxiety and guilt, which are certainly components of mental illness.

Fr. Hardon, who passed in 2000, was the author of dozens of books and a consultant to the Holy See. He did not typically view these struggles through a purely clinical or secular psychological lens. Instead, he approached stress, anxiety, and depression as spiritual battles that require supernatural remedies.

Fr. Hardon said,

“Frequent Confession has not only deep spiritual value as we have just seen. It is also immensely beneficial psychologically. In other words, the frequent reception of the sacrament of Penance contributes to the well-being of our mind. In one declarative sentence, it is a divinely instituted means of giving us peace of soul.”

—  "The Spiritual and Psychological Value of Frequent Confession"

The Nature of Stress, Anxiety, and Suffering

Fr. Hardon taught that most of our interior unrest comes from a lack of alignment between our will and God's will.

• The Source of Suffering: He often noted that much of our stress and tribulation comes from "other people." And our actions in turn will stress others.
• Frequent Confession: Quoting Pope Pius XII, Fr. Hardon notes that by frequent Confession, “self-knowledge is increased, Christian humility grows, bad habits are corrected, spiritual neglect and tepidity are resisted, the conscience is purified, the will strengthened, a salutary self-control is attained, and grace is increased in virtue of the sacrament itself.

This article outlines why receiving the sacrament of Penance is vital even when one has only venial sins to confess.

Spiritual Fruits

Fr. Hardon identifies several spiritual fruits that come from frequent confession:

• Increased Self-Knowledge: He notes that we are often "hawk-eyed" regarding others' faults but "stone blind" to our own. Confession helps us see ourselves as we really are.
• Correction of Bad Habits (Vices): Vices are habits acquired by repeating bad actions. Sacramental grace helps overcome these in "record time."
• Purification of Conscience: A "pure conscience" is one that sees, we might say, instinctively, and instantly what God wants in a given situation.
• Strengthening of the Will: He calls this the "sacrament of courage." It helps resist the "autonomy of the will" (doing what we want) and submits the will to God.
• Attaining Salutary Self-Control: He defines this as the "mastery of our impulses to conform to the mind and will of the Creator." It involves restraining the tendency to chase what is pleasant and flee what is painful.
• Conformity to Jesus Christ: Specifically, it helps us become more:
  > Humble: Through the "humiliation of telling our sins to another sinner."
  > Patient: In "bearing with pain and enduring the people that God puts into our lives." He notes that most of our tribulations come from other people.
• Submissiveness to the Holy Spirit: Confession makes us more aware of what we must admit is the "unappreciated Guest" in our souls and helps us listen to His "divine shouts" (which often come in the form of problems or trials).

Psychological Benefits

Fr. Hardon argues that the sacrament contributes directly to the "well-being of our mind":

• Sacrament of Peace: He highlights that the principal source of mental conflict is the "sense of guilt." He says, “Psychologists tell us, it is the mysterious feeling of guilt which lies at the root of most people’s disquiet of mind and disturbance of will. On both levels, the sacrament of Confession is the Lord’s great gift to His followers.”
• Peace of Mind: Defined as the "experience of knowing the truth"—specifically the truth that we are sinners who are still loved by God.
• Peace of Heart: Defined as the "experience of doing the will of God." He states emphatically that "doing one’s own will is hell on earth."
• Dealing with Guilt: While the subjective "feeling of guilt" is just the tip of the iceberg, the sacrament removes the objective fact of being deprived of God’s friendship.
   

This is the first part of a two-part article. Click to read the second part, "Suffering from Mental Distress? Servant of God Fr. John Hardon, S.J. Gives Us Answers."

Did you enjoy this article? Learn more about your Catholic faith by reading articles and watching videos of Servant of God Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J. Click here and Get a Free Prayer Card for the Canonization of Fr. Hardon.