Are*****You******Joyful?******

  • Thread starter Thread starter anon64350612
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
…And I have heard comments from an adult altar server about how he wishes he could come down from the altar and tell people to wipe the “frown” off their faces during Mass. As good of an argument for ad orientem worship as I have ever heard. (Said altar server would be better off focusing on Mass, obviously.)
 
This article explains Christian joy:

Library : On Christian Joy (Gaudete in Domino) | Catholic Culture

“Christian joy presupposes a person capable of natural joy. These natural joys were often used by Christ as a starting point when He proclaimed the kingdom of God. …”

“It is therefore by becoming more present to God, by turning away from sin, that man can truly enter into spiritual joy.” Gaudete in Domino. Pope Paul VI

One point I would like to make is that it is wrong to gauge another’s level of spiritual joy based on their level of natural joy, or based upon a facial expression.
 
And - every thread has its recommendation to consult a therapist if it gets to a certain number of responses! LOL
 
Thanks for the link.

It is quite common that many people mistake what joy in the Lord really is and therefore they often make fun of it.

In actuality, we are called to be joyful. Joy is also the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Often we ask for love, peace and joy, so obviously it is connected to love and peace. Or we can say that if we have the love of God, it will certainly bring peace which result in joy in us.

Theologians and prominent Catholic scholars, people like Bishop Robert Barron, do talk and explain what joy is, it must be an important feature in our spirituality.

Knowledge and knowing what we want to aspire as we go deeper in the Lord is important so that we will not get them wrong.

God bless.
 
LaughingBoy1503 said:
people who are not always smiling make her uncomfortable.
Click to expand...
Isn’t that interesting. My reaction is different: I am uncomfortable around people who ARE always smiling, especially when they are all alone and no one else is around. Seems creepy. That probably says more about me than it does about the smiling person.
 
Last edited:
Am I to take your recommendation that I seek professional medical help seriously?
 
Roseeurekacross said:
Joy is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Spiritual Joy.

Fruits of the Holy Spirit | Loyola Press

“Just so, every good tree bears good fruit, and a rotten tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. So by their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7:17-20)

This passage in Matthew’s Gospel helps us to understand the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, which are the observable behaviors of people who have allowed the grace of the Holy Spirit to be effective in them. The tradition of the Church lists 12 fruits:

charity

generosity
joy

gentleness

peace

faithfulness

patience

modesty

kindness

self-control

goodness

chastity

Open yourselves to the Grace of the Holy Spirit
Click to expand...
Agreed, but please let’s remember that ‘being joyful’ does not necessarily entail grinning like a gormless idiot at any and all hours of the day. Like happiness, profound joy is often something not easily observable by other people. That doesn’t mean the person is not joyful; they just may not display their joy in an uninhibited, extroverted manner.
 
True. What is in our heart radiates from our faces. Joy lifts up our countenance. OTOH, grinning like an idiot can be something else. LOL.

I was leading our gathering. Our Community have gone through a dry spell for sometimes. Leaders were functional but nevertheless persevered. In the car on our way back, my wife remarked, “You made a difference. I could see the joy in your face.” Admittedly the gathering was spirited and the praise, uplifitng.

The Holy Spirit in us gives us joy. It has a divine element to it, not just by our strength. This is where we can give strength to others and bring life to them. That is what we are, as sons and daughters of God - we are not defeated but victorious and our Father is God. How could we therefore do not have joy in our hearts knowing how great our Father is, and we are princes and princesses of the King?
 
But people who are “joyful” from within" look peaceful when they talk. Have you noticed?
 
Sure, absolutely. What is strange is when people without joy look transformed. For the last 49 years of her life, Mother Teresa walked in existential darkness, having lost her faith in God’s existence. Yet the light of His love shone forth from her radiant face, even when she looked sad.
 
I didn’t realize Mother Teresa had a “loss of faith in God’s existence”
 
I for one am sometimes suspicious of people who seem overly joyful and cheery 24/7. It sometimes comes off as fake, at least to me.
 
margaret42 said:
I didn’t realize Mother Teresa had a “loss of faith in God’s existence”
Click to expand...
None of us knew! It was not revealed until after her death, when her diaries were published. Her life was the Existentialist philosophy made real: to soldier on in the face of utter darkness, even though you are certain God does not exist. She was more heroic than most people know.
 
CTBcin said:
I for one am sometimes suspicious of people who seem overly joyful and cheery 24/7. It sometimes comes off as fake, at least to me.
Click to expand...
To me, too. Seems like they are trying way too hard to convince you how happy they are.
 
kill051 said:
40.png
CTBcin:
I for one am sometimes suspicious of people who seem overly joyful and cheery 24/7. It sometimes comes off as fake, at least to me.
Click to expand...
To me, too. Seems like they are trying way too hard to convince you how happy they are.
Click to expand...
I agree with both of you.

I think though that some people are buoyant by nature.
 
Lormar said:
40.png
kill051:
40.png
CTBcin:
I for one am sometimes suspicious of people who seem overly joyful and cheery 24/7. It sometimes comes off as fake, at least to me.
Click to expand...
To me, too. Seems like they are trying way too hard to convince you how happy they are.
Click to expand...
I agree with both of you.

I think though that some people are buoyant by nature.
Click to expand...
Quite right. I have known people like this, and I always get a very positive feeling of warmth from them, unlike the ones who seem phony.
Some people just exude positivity and good cheer naturally. They are blessed!
 
Nelka said:
I wouldn’t even know how to express joy.
Click to expand...
You see, this is a misconception. And this is what some of the posters mentioned here. Some people tried so hard, it is not natural.

It is not about expressing it. Joy is within you. It is you, what you are.

At the moment this would be the least of your worry but rather how you could come closer to God and that involves perseverance.

We often wish that God could come with a bang and we would be transformed, but sometimes God would come in a mysterious way and like nothing at all. And often we would be tested in the process. Even great saints, like Mother Teresa, did not experience God for long spell in their lives but still they would persevere on.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top