Being catholic and mentally ill

  • Thread starter Thread starter Christy_Beth
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Hi, brabble,

Glad we got it straighted out!
Anyway, I tried to find the site that I read on the
position of suffering in Judaism, and couldn’t find it.
I’ll keep on searching.

So I’ll summerize:

there was/is an element of punishment for sins in
Judaic thought, even a Kabbalistic concept of
a sort of reincarnation…if I’m suffering, it’s to come
to spiritual terms for something that I did in a
previous life.
what I did do was check an online Bible and found
a footnote to a chapter in the gospel of John that
might be worth looking at:
usccb.org/nab/bible/john/john9.htm

see footnote #2 on a chapter from Exodus.

Where I wrote that the “glory of God be revealed” is
actually; that the work of God be made manifest.

The idea that the man was suffering necessarily
as a result of his own sins or the sins of his parents
[see the Exodus reference] was obviously an
accepted idea, and that’s why the people asked
Jesus the question.

What stunning *relief *it must have been to hear that
suffering was not necessarily the result of personal
sin or the sin of one’s parents or ancestor’s.

Furthermore, the value of redemptive suffering in
Catholicism elevates that very suffering to that
of immense value to the Kingdom of God. I can
well believe that this is the point that the Holy Father
would stress in anything he writes or says about
suffering. Redemptive suffering turns dross into
gold.
Have I responded clearly enough to your interest
in Judaic theology?

reen12

I pray to the God of Israel and hope that Jesus
is the Messiah.
 
Hi, brabble,

I posted to you above, but didn’t see it register on
the forum list, so I’m posting this to see if it
pops up now.

reen 12

PS: I checked, it did!
 
Hi there Reen12 -

At times I can be away from the computer for up to a few days at times.
But thanks for all you gave me in your post. I haven’t had time just yet to inwardly grasp all you have given me, but I do see reflections of it in the Papal Letter on Suffering. Actually I’m finding it a fascinating document and plan to print it so I can give it a real ponder - I’m only about 1/4 way thru reading it. I’ll sit down with your information too and give it a ponder. A wealth of spiritual reading in all.
I am very interested in all things Jewish since our roots are Israel, The Old Testament and Judaic Law and theology - perhaps not necessarily in that order however. I’m only a truly armchair everything. Hope to start theology by corr. this year.
Thank you for the time and attention you have given me.

This thread on mental illness has happily led us in all sorts of directions and with some excellent and helpful reflections.

Joyous Easter Season to you and all :amen:
  • Barbara
 
In one of my posts I quoted St. Paul “we make up in our own bodies what was lacking in the sufferings of Christ” which is the wording I’ve had stuck in my head now for a long time -

I was delighted to read in the Introduction to the Papal Letter on Suffering the quote The Holy Father gives us which says far more than my quote - and will be my quote in my head from now on:
  1. Declaring the power of salvific suffering, the Apostle Paul says: "In my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions* for the sake of his body, that is, the Church***"(1).
    although, and please correct me if I am wrong - the concept of Church in theological terms incorporates all? . . . perhaps I better put a post into the Theology Forum and correct myself if I am wrong and advise on this forum? I’d be interested if any more versed than I on theology could define, since Christ in His afflications suffered for all?:confused:
    Joyous Easter!
 
Hi, brabble,

Here’s a website on Judaic thought:

jewfaq.org/toc.htm

As to the concept of the Mystical Body and making up
the sufferings, these are, I think, complex topics and
I’d be out of my depth trying to shed light on them.
Hope someone on the forums can help you with
your questions.

God bless you,

reen12

I pray to the God of Israel and hope that Jesus
is the Messiah.
 
My wife suffers from bipolar.

We recently moved to a new city and began looking around for new parish to attend.

We found one we thought we liked. Then one Sunday the priest informed the congregation in his homily that people who are mentally ill are not grateful to God, because if they were grateful to God they wouldn’t be mentally ill.

Haven’t been back there since.

We have, however, found a wonderful parish.

Best.
 
Dear Reen 12 - Thank you for the website. I certainly have plenty of spiritual reading to catch up on in the coming April First Term break and I’m looking forward to being able to do so.

As for the mystical body theology . . . I did post to the ‘Scripture Forum’ my question - tho I think I may have answered it myself. St. Paul was referring (I think!) to his own imprisonment and eventual martyrdom for The Faith - not strictly that of Christ. I think I may have inadvertently read St. Paul incorrectly at first. I am not sure however . . . and I’m interested in any replies I get to my Scripture Forum question. I am somewhat sure I have read somewhere or other that the theological term “The Church” (Mystical Body of Christ)has a far broader scope than that we most generally accept - but I could be wrong!

May God Bless you too! - Barbara:)
 
In my opinion, no. You are no more responsible for your thoughts when you can’t obtain your medication than you would be for running a fever.

Trust in God’s mercy. He understands.
 
I am a sufferer of mental illness - and my medication is vitally important to me. And I must agree that if I don’t have access to it, then I am not responsible for my thoughts . . . as if I suffered the flu and I’m not responsible for any fever.

Well put . . . I must remember that one!
 
Hi, Sweet Pea !

I thought that was a grand analogy…yes, it would be
more like a fever I think.

thanks much,
reen12

PS Will you please say a prayer for me, Sweet Pea?
I take an antidepressant [have for years] but it just
doesn’t seem to lift that low, low feeling quite enough.
 
40.png
brabble:
  1. Declaring the power of salvific suffering, the Apostle Paul says: "In my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions* for the sake of his body, that is, the Church***"(1)
Click to expand...
I’m going to have to do more research on Paul’s letters, because I have a hard time getting my mind around how Christ’s afflications could, in any way, be lacking. Christ = God = lacking. How is that possible?
40.png
CharlesT:
Then one Sunday the priest informed the congregation in his homily that people who are mentally ill are not grateful to God, because if they were grateful to God they wouldn’t be mentally ill.
Click to expand...
I’m not that surprised to hear that. I was watching something where the church would not give a catholic burial for people who committed suicide. One instance was a boy about 11 years old. I kept thinking about how many people in the course of history weren’t given a catholic burial because they had a brain disorder? Brain disorders are the cause of the most suicides, by far, than any other physical illness.

Someone needs to ask that priest if people with other brain disorders like Parkinson’s aren’t grateful to God either.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top