(The following is a “Faith in Action” column by Msgr. John Enzler, the president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.)

I have started my days much the same way for about as long as I can remember. I pray, and then I read the morning newspaper. 

My routine in the car also has been the same for as long as I can remember. I try to get in touch with the Lord through prayer time there as well, and I also listen to the news and what is going on in our world.

I must say, it has gotten more difficult to read and hear the news with all that is going on.

I think of the poor people of Haiti, who have dealt with an earthquake, flooding and the assassination of their president. I think of those in Afghanistan, including our troops as well as people of that country who just want what we want – freedom to live their lives and to live without fear. 

We have experienced environmental tragedies, including fires in the West, hurricanes in the South, and horrible flooding here in our area and throughout much of the Northeast. 

I worry about shootings in our area, which seem to be happening more and more. It is difficult to hear and read about 16-year-olds shooting their classmates, or 15-year-olds charged with first-degree murder.

For most of my life, I have not worried much about our world. But to be honest, I am worried about some things going on right now. The news cycle can be discouraging, and I do worry about where we are going and how we can better do what the Lord wants of us. 

I had a discussion recently with friends in which we talked about many of these things going on and how it can seem that our world is in trouble. I listened for a bit, and then I finally pointed up to heaven and said, “Let’s not forget who’s in charge.”

I’m trying hard to remember that myself these days. I think it is the right starting point for reflecting on the world and where we are today. And when we start there, we see that amid all the bad news, we have some good news – great news actually!

God is in charge. God is watching over us and truly has us in the palm of his hand – even when we forget. 

One little phrase I have heard that keeps coming back to me is this: We must learn two things in life. First, there is a God. And second, it’s not any of us.

 I think most of us do pretty well with the first one. There are about eight billion people in the world, and about one billion are atheists. Most of us believe there is a God. 

The second one is more challenging. If we are honest with ourselves, we often do not let God be God. We try to take much of that role for ourselves. We make our own needs paramount and more important than those around us. It is a natural human tendency, but we risk forgetting about the God we believe in, the God who created us, has a plan for us and wants us to live the life He has prepared for us.

We are now back in the swing of work and school after the slower pace of summer. In our busyness, let us remember that the world’s problems are real and lift them up to God in prayer. Pray for those in need. Share your own worries, anxieties and concerns. God does listen and works in us, even if we need to be patient. 

At the same time, let us also consider if there is anything we can do personally. Many people stepped up beautifully to help the people of Haiti and Afghanistan. Others are working to help us be good stewards of the environmental gifts God has given us of clean air, fresh water and abundant Earth. Still others are thinking about ways they can be forces for good in our communities when violence erupts. And so much more.

We can be like Mary and Martha in our response. Let us reflect like Mary at the Lord’s feet in prayer, and, like Martha, let us also do what we can to make a difference for others.

Let us also persevere and not be discouraged. We know there is a God. We know our God is a God of love. And we know He is always in charge.