I often lie awake at night thinking of all sorts of things, pondering what it means to be alive, what it means to be a man, and what it means to be faithful to God. However, as of late, these thoughts have become more and more accusatory to the self. It is an ever-growing parade of why: “Why can’t you be stronger?”, “Why didn’t you forgive them?”, “Why did God make me the way that I am?” These thoughts go on indefinitely, and change constantly for the many people afflicted by their cruelty.
Thinking about these things is a natural part of the human experience, however, in the age of modernity, these thoughts tend to grow out of control as our minds are blitzed day in and day out by the digital storm. Once a lack of Godly discernment takes hold, the proper ground is sown for depression to sprout its wilted branches. While many will say that depression is simply an emotion that needs to be handled by means of a stoic attitude, I offer a different, less discussed approach to dealing with mental turmoil: abandon yourself wholly to Christ.
One of the most common afflictions of Generation Z seems to be a sickness of the soul: depression. This sickness is less akin to schizophrenia, but more so to insomnia; it is a slow, silent killer that does not have visible signs. It is the kind of sickness that seems manageable at first, but bit by bit will eat at your being. It removes all the joy of life and transforms a colorful world into one that is bleak and dreary.
The common understanding of depression up until recently was that it is a hormonal imbalance. The postmodern way of fixing what is broken is to address the symptom, not the root problem. In this case, the symptomatic fix would have been to prescribe any sort of anti-depressant; the most common of these are SSRIs. It is an entirely mechanical reaction to what is a very real problem that has very real implications for wider society. The world will be inherited by this upcoming generation, and at the moment, its inheritors are lost, very lost.
There are many reasons as to why depression can arise in someone. It can be related to factors both internal and external. However, hard times on their own are, in most cases, not enough to trigger depression. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, as of February 2023, more than 32.3% of grown adults in the United States have reported symptoms of anxiety and/or depression.1 When age is taken into account, adults aged 18-25 have a disproportionate rate of reports, as high as 18.6%.2
This would boggle the secularist’s mind, and it does. Why would it be that people in one of the wealthiest nations on the planet be so miserable? We have all the food we can eat, we can summon almost any item we desire at the push of a button through websites like Amazon, and everywhere you look there are many outlets of pleasure, be it a bar or a pornographic website.
Following the rising tide of depression in the youth has been a sharp decline in overall religiosity. More than one-third of Generation Z (roughly 34%) claim to be religiously unaffiliated.3 There are many factors to this, but I suspect materialistic abundance is to blame. Why would a generation that has everything focus on God? It beckons back to Christ’s analogy for it being easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
Generation Z’s decline in religiosity is also shared with the Millennial generation, they also share Generation Z’s habit for depression, albeit at a lesser scale. The virtue of being religious on its own does not do much except for providing an astroturfed sense of morals. How often is it that we see American megachurches overflowing with masses of people eager to hear the Word of God, as interpreted by a pastor whose net worth is well beyond what any of the congregants could ever hope to see? Every Sunday arises a symphony of rock concerts across the nation. Rock n’ roll bands take center stage leading a crowd gassed up on spiritual highs for several deafening hours of worship.
I admit, the experience of a modern-day protestant service is exhilarating! However, one would not go to a Bon Jovi concert for spiritual guidance meant to feed one’s soul. Igniting the fire of faith requires more than gasoline. Sure, gasoline explodes violently when it encounters fire, but then what of the gasoline? It is gone; there is nothing left beyond the initial burst. After the brief explosion, life returns to its normal turmoil, and the feeling of emptiness seeps in once more. The fire of faith needs a fuel source to survive.
There is a different side of the story in American Christianity, separate from all the rock concerts and drab mainline liturgies: Christ awaits His people every Sunday in the sacrifice of the Holy Mass. He offers Himself to us in the most blessed sacrament of all, the Eucharist. This is the most personal, physical encounter we can have with our Lord in the temporal world. It is Christ’s desire for all men to receive him in the blessed sacrament and to be in union with him spiritually.
A wonderful way to speak with the Lord is through novenas. There are many novenas that the Church offers, but one that is relevant to the intent of this article is the Surrender Novena. Enter the Servant of God, Fr. Don Dolindo Ruotolo. For a short time, Fr. Ruotolo was St. Padre Pio’s spiritual director and oftentimes referred to himself as “Mary’s little old man.”
Several miracles have been attributed to his intercession, before and after his death. It was to Fr. Ruotolo that Christ had revealed the words of the Surrender Novena, “O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything!” The intent of the Surrender Novena is to pray for an increased reliance on the Lord, to surrender our worries, what stresses us, and what gives us the most anxiety to Christ. The words our Lord imparted unto Fr. Ruotolo clears the air on Christ’s intent for us:
“Why do you confuse yourselves by worrying? Leave the care of your affairs to me and everything will be peaceful. I say to you in truth that every act of true, blind, complete surrender to me produces the effect that you desire and resolves all difficult situations.”
Time and time again, throughout both the holy Gospels and the Old Testament, we see God not let his people falter. Sometimes it is necessary for God’s greater glory that we as people must endure hardship and we all know in life that hardship is quite plentiful.
There are no words in the English language, or any human language for that matter, that can describe the sheer love God has for his people. Suffering is not his ultimate intent for us, though sometimes in the long road of life suffering can happen. What is important above all else is to put every aspect of your faith and hope in the blessed Lord. I understand that it can be hard to do that at times, especially when it seems like the walls of despair are closing in. However, the reader must also understand that despair, in nature, does not come from God or anything that is holy.
The devil wishes to sow depression in us, which will lead to despair if left unchecked. One of the worst things one can do is to despair, it signifies complete loss of faith in God; something that the devil wants all men to stoop down to. If we keep our eyes on God, abandon our worries to him, pray with him, and cling to him, then no matter how heavy your cross may seem, it becomes lighter.
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30, NRSV
For Wally.