Emmaus Support Mental Health Ministries

by Deacon Eric Gurash

For many Christians, the Christmas season provides an exciting climax to the time of eager anticipation that is Advent.  It is a period when the Christian faith having resonated deeply with the call to prepare for the birth of Jesus Christ, now rejoices in receiving the Messiah anew and in the perennial promise that our saviour will come again.  However, within this season of joy and expectation, many individuals grapple with mental health challenges, struggling to find solace and hope amidst inner turmoil made worse by a host of external pressures.  Not surprisingly, the American Psychological Association reports that nearly 38% of people indicated that their stress increased during the holiday season.

And yet, Peter exhorts the Christian in every situation to “Always be ready to make your defence to anyone who demands from you an account of the hope that is in you.”  How are we to read this commission within the context of holiday experiences that can often leave us feeling less than hopeful?

Part of the struggle may have to do with what kind of thing we imagine hope to be.

Hope, in a Christian context, isn’t meant to be a superficial “pie in the sky” optimism but a substantive anticipation grounded in divine promises, not in the ephemeral constructs of wishful thinking.

At a recent event featuring Oblate writer Fr. Ron Rolheiser, the concept of hope was illuminated as something more profound than wish-making or rosy-eyed optimism. Hope, he shared, is an active expectation, an anticipation nurtured by the assurance of a promise that transcends the limits of the individual narratives we try to construct for ourselves and rises from the higher story of God’s redemptive plan.

This is a significant distinction. It can be easy for us to despair in a world defined by meaning that is entirely self-created and coloured by wishful thinking.  Within the self-constructed worldview of popular culture, pressure grows to create perfect spaces, to have all the right trappings, decor, gifts, food, games and so create spaces where our often-romanticised ideals of the Christmas Spirit can be felt and appreciate.

True hope, instead rises out of what Fr. Rolheiser calls a “meta-narrative.” “Meta” meaning “higher”; a higher story than anything we can construct on our own. The single, meaning-filled meta narrative of God’s promise of redemption is precisely where hope finds its fountainhead.

“Christmas with its myriad of pressures and complexities, encourages us to seek after hope including and especially within those times and places where hope seems most distant. The Incarnation presents a promise of hope, born in turmoil that serves as a concrete and practical anchor tethered to the divine promise fulfilled in Christ. It isn’t the eradication of strife but the experience of resilience that arises from knowing that Christ’s victory transcends the shadows of the world.”

It is this meta-narrative that Regina Archbishop Donald Bolen highlights in his recent Christmas message saying, “Christmas isn’t intended to be a happy but short-lived little escape from the difficulties of our lives. Nor is it meant to uproot us from the here and now and put us mystically into a place where God dwells in bliss untouched by human suffering.

“Christmas,” he continues, “has the possibility to fill us with a deep joy because it brings the assurance that God is with us, where we dwell. It promises, in a way that is more fully grasped with the Resurrection and Pentecost, that God desires to be with us in the here and now, in a life-giving relationship which informs every part of our lives. A relationship with God doesn’t mean your life is going to be always happy and easy. The way that Jesus shows us passes through the cross, the complete giving of self in response to the brokenness of the world. But Christ’s coming among us in the Incarnation, his rising from the dead, the sending of the Holy Spirit, all speak of God’s commitment to be with us at every moment of our lives. Christ’s embracing of humanity is God’s promise of a relationship with us always.”

In the tapestry of the Gospel narratives, Mark’s rendition may not initially strike us as a traditional Christmas message. Lacking an account of the birth of Christ like Luke or Matthew or even a profoundly transcendent vision as the beginning of the Gospel of John presents, Matthew instead boldly and simply proclaims “The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

Mark’s is a Gospel that emerges against a backdrop of turmoil and loss. If, as most scholars agree, Mark accompanied Peter in his ministry and wrote this, the earliest of the gospels in 70AD or so, then this Gospel was likely written in the aftermath of Peter’s crucifixion and Paul’s beheading.

Hear in Mark’s opening line “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,” the resonance of the Hebrew word, “Bereshith,” “the beginning”. This is the opening word of the whole of scripture, “In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth.” It speaks not just of the start of the story of salvation but of the beginning of all existence—a moment when God imposed order upon chaos. Mark uses this same phrasing with laser-like intention. “As God created from chaos then, look now at what he plans to accomplish, in your struggles today.”

Christmas with its myriad of pressures and complexities, encourages us to seek after hope including and especially within those times and places where hope seems most distant. The Incarnation presents a promise of hope, born in turmoil that serves as a concrete and practical anchor tethered to the divine promise fulfilled in Christ. It isn’t the eradication of strife but the experience of resilience that arises from knowing that Christ’s victory transcends the shadows of the world.

Mental health research illuminates the profound impact of hope on individual well-being—diminishing stress, amplifying coping skills, nurturing motivation, and fostering healing and recovery. Strategies such as self-compassion, present-focused living, gratitude, connectivity, goal setting, and self-care become pivotal in nurturing and sustaining hope as does remaining connected to those higher narratives of divine promise that we encounter through the practices of our faith.

Amidst the struggles of mental health during this Christmas season, integrating these reflections into one’s life unfolds a transformative journey—a journey toward rediscovering hope. Here are concrete tips to foster hope and navigate this season healthily:

1. Engage with Your Faith: Attend Mass or services, or times of quite adoration at your local church, reflect on the various scriptural depictions of Christ’s birth, create moments, however brief for prayer; even if it is only “Christ help me!”
2. Practice Self-Compassion: Treat yourself with kindness and understanding, acknowledging your challenges and embracing self-care amidst the festivities.
3. Stay Present: Focus on the present moment, engaging in activities that bring joy and mindfulness, fostering appreciation for the small, practical gifts of the moment; a smile, a hug, a brief bit of quiet amid the chaos.
4. Cultivate Gratitude: Reflect on things you’re thankful for, shifting focus from negativity to positivity, enhancing your overall perspective.
5. Seek Connection: Surround yourself with supportive individuals, sharing your thoughts and feelings with trusted friends or participating in supportive communities.
6. Set Attainable Goals: Simplify your expectations and those of others, establish realistic objectives for the season, working towards them steadily, nurturing a sense of accomplishment and direction. Give yourself permission to let go of those traditions and expectations that seem out of reach this year.
7. Prioritize Self-Care: Take care of your physical, emotional, and mental well-being through adequate rest, nourishing food, exercise, and leisure activities.

Embracing these practices can serve as guiding lights, nurturing hope and resilience amidst mental health challenges, unveiling the promise of Christmas as an enduring beacon of love, peace, and restoration.