Being Happy

[ynotzap]

A serious malady is crucifying humanity, and no-one seems exempt except Mary the mother of Jesus, and Jesus Himself. Thats because they had no sin. We were born in sin, thats why Jesus came to bring us back to the Father. This malady is responsible for the death of innocent people, wars, national and church divisions, hatred, and even disagreement among forum leaders to name some. Jesus warned us about this malady.

The mental and spiritual condition of we who are affected make us appear as “infallible judges and jurors” and the real shocker is that we are completely unaware of this condition. This is the malady,…it is the blindness of our understanding. In our convictions we believe we are "RIGHT’ and our knowledge and reasoning justify our acts and we become “self-righteous”, not God righteous, unawares We lack the humble disposition to regard our thinking as fallible and our knowledge as limited. We fail to treat our judgement with a wise and healthy amount of "self-doubt and scrutiny. " In this spiritual state no amount of pleading and reasoning from others is effective in reaching us. We become “accidental hypocrites” because under the light of truth we contradict ourselves unknowingly. The following is taken from an actual case in my town. An abortion doctor was shot by (to the best of my knowledge) a Christian. There were opinions large and wide about the episode. These were some of the ideas that people expressed. I will attempt to show you the fallacy in their judgement.

Example: Those who murder abortion doctors should receive the maximum penalty for murder. A Catholic priest called it "justifiable homicide’ The original statement maker proceeds to perform abortions never questioning his acts as the "POSSIBLE " taking the life of an innocent person in the fetus stage of his existence. He is "infallibly certain that he is right in his judgement.

Example: Those who execute the innocent should be executed themselves. The statement maker then proceeds to execute the one he judges as guilty. He never identifies himself as a "POSSIBLE’ executor of the innocent because he is convinced infallibly that he is right in his judgement. This is a real case his name is Paul Hill, a minister.

I have witnessed this blindness in this forum. It is a fault but Jesus warns us about "seeing the splinter in our brother’s eye, but not the bean in our own. Many saints also have warned us. It is called the moth that consumes, vain glory, wood worm, and self-righteousness. Those of us who are affected don’t know it. Others may see it, but we can’t. We must be humble and listen to the Spirit in others, especially when it is given out of Christian love. (Avoid the personal attitude of infallibility, pray for humility, I believe it is one of the effects of original sin, a hidden pride- I call it :a creature of the Id)

 

[david_patrick]

try:
love all the wounds of Jesus Christ, crucified/love the wounds of a crown of brairs/love the wounds of bruises on His Holy face/love the wounds of strips on his back/love the wound on the right hand nail pierced/love the wound on the left hand nail pierced/love the wound of fallen scraped knees/love the wound on the right foot nail pierced/love the wound on the left foot nail pierced/love the wound stabbed to his side…
try that as a meditation when looking at the crucifix, and ask for JOY!
thanks patrick (Divine love, suffering and the soul can trend into a certain healing prayer)

 

[ready]

Please do not confuse my anger and frustration with a lack of faith. I just don’t think that God cares; that’s all. If God does care about me He doesn’t seem to be very forthcoming about it. If I’m destined to suffer through life I guess I’m destined to suffer through life.

Still, it is no fun.

But how can a person with the Faith (with true BELIEF) deny that God loves him, that is, deny God’s goodness; and deny that He, as a loving Father, only wills what is the very best for him? How could he say that he cares less about God’s Will as you have done if he has the Faith? How can he speak so irreverently and negatively about Him as you have done? You say you are just angry, but you are not just angry – you are irreverent towards God and think that He is wrong, He Who is Almighty God and Perfection itself. You say that you have faith in God, which means that you BELIEVE that He is good, perfect, always just and always right, etc., but in practice you don’t believe-- otherwise you’d KNOW He truly loves you just by looking at the crucifix; you’d care about His Will; you would embrace Him and His holy Will as totally good for you; you would love God and would not want to be irreverent towards Him, you wouldn’t want to kill him sometimes like you say you want to because you’d BELIEVE that He is perfectly good and perfectly just You don’t seem to have the right image of God, Lost_Sheep, much like people trapped in false religions without the true Faith. Maybe that’s why you believe you have faith when in practice you deny the very basic truths of Faith such as God’s infinite love for his children, loving divine Providence, etc… Thanks be to God you now are resigned to suffer, as we all must suffer in this vale of tears. But please be sure to have faith, because without faith we can not be pleasing to God, says the Scripture. God bless you.

 

[ready]

So to sum it all up, all I have to do is pray, whether I think it will do any good or not, and everything will be sunshine, rainbows, butterflies and unicorns; if not in this life then in the next. Right?

If you persevere in prayer, faith, hope and charity – and sorrow for your sins – to the end, Lost_Sheep, yes, you will have that bliss in heaven. This earth is a vale of tears and so we shall suffer here, but with prayer, faith, hope, charity and true contrition in us we shall have peace in our hearts and a foretaste of heaven while here on earth. God bless you.

 

[Robert_Sock]

If you persevere in prayer, faith, hope and charity – and sorrow for your sins – to the end, Lost_Sheep, yes, you will have that bliss in heaven. This earth is a vale of tears and so we shall suffer here, but with prayer, faith, hope, charity and true contrition in us we shall have peace in our hearts and a foretaste of heaven while here on earth. God bless you.

 

[ready]

Thanks, Robert.

 

[Blood_Angel]

I am happy when there is a hearty meal and some wine in my belly!
Other than that, generally speaking, I’m often unhappy such as when I’m at work or feeling down because I’ve never been in a relationship. I’m unhappy when I have to go outside and walk somewhere in the freezing cold!
It’s my belief that to feel happiness, you must experience unhappiness. At least that’s what I tell myself to give me courage when I’m unhappy. I think it’s a Buddhist belief actually.

 

[hazcompat]

cart.dynamiccatholic.com/Free-Finding-True-Happiness-p/1fth.htm

 

[ynotzap]

We should have joy in Christ that our salvation is assured given we are righteous. We should not however, be happy in this miserable and corrupt world.

I wouldn’t expect anyone to be happy in a world that is corrupt. It is true corruption and misery are here. We are born into it. That is why Jesus came, to redeem us from this moral corruption of sin.in All of creation needs redemption. Rom8:20-21 “For creation was made SUBJECT TO FUTILITY not of its own accord but because of the ONE WHO SUBJECTED IT in HOPE that creation would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the Children of God.” This means to me that all human endeavor at best could only give symptomatic cure to evil. Those redeemed by Jesus are not subject to futility, they are free in spirit as long as they remain in Christ’s saving grace. So the whole world is not evil and corrupt, although there are slaves to sin and they are “legion” for they are many. The world is beautiful in itself. God’s beauty and power, and providence are manifested in His creation even in sinners and the devil himself, for he is an angel. What God creates is good. What is corrupt is our behavior, and our physical nature. We are in need of Christ and His salvation. Even our bodies are subject to disease and death. We were made rational beings, but in many of our actions we don’t act rationally, sin is one of them, there is moral disorder in our nature. God allows us to be subject to futility IN HOPE that slavery to corruption, physical and spiritual, will be destroyed by the salvation that comes from Jesus. This freedom that comes from Jesus is even manifested in the uncorrupted bodies of some of the saints. Christians have hope, and are not subjected to the “doom and gloom” that comes from observing the evils of the unconverted world. The freedom of God is true freedom. Its the world that does not acknowledge God, nor is grateful to Him. that is corrupt. Where evil abounds, grace abounds more. So peace, joy, and love and some happiness (although not permanent here) can be had here. We mustn’t let evil over-whelm us, we conquer evil with good, and hope in Christ’s love for His creation. I see creation giving glory to God in birds, flowers, in children, parents, especially in Christians who manifest love for their neighbor and in God ,in sunshine, rain and storms, in all things. Praise God!

 

[Robert_Sock]

I wouldn’t expect anyone to be happy in a world that is corrupt. It is true corruption and misery are here. We are born into it. That is why Jesus came, to redeem us from this moral corruption of sin.in All of creation needs redemption. Rom8:20-21 “For creation was made SUBJECT TO FUTILITY not of its own accord but because of the ONE WHO SUBJECTED IT in HOPE that creation would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the Children of God.” This means to me that all human endeavor at best could only give symptomatic cure to evil. Those redeemed by Jesus are not subject to futility, they are free in spirit as long as they remain in Christ’s saving grace. So the whole world is not evil and corrupt, although there are slaves to sin and they are “legion” for they are many. The world is beautiful in itself. God’s beauty and power, and providence are manifested in His creation even in sinners and the devil himself, for he is an angel. What God creates is good. What is corrupt is our behavior, and our physical nature. We are in need of Christ and His salvation. Even our bodies are subject to disease and death. We were made rational beings, but in many of our actions we don’t act rationally, sin is one of them, there is moral disorder in our nature. God allows us to be subject to futility IN HOPE that slavery to corruption, physical and spiritual, will be destroyed by the salvation that comes from Jesus. This freedom that comes from Jesus is even manifested in the uncorrupted bodies of some of the saints. Christians have hope, and are not subjected to the “doom and gloom” that comes from observing the evils of the unconverted world. The freedom of God is true freedom. Its the world that does not acknowledge God, nor is grateful to Him. that is corrupt. Where evil abounds, grace abounds more. So peace, joy, and love and some happiness (although not permanent here) can be had here. We mustn’t let evil over-whelm us, we conquer evil with good, and hope in Christ’s love for His creation. I see creation giving glory to God in birds, flowers, in children, parents, especially in Christians who manifest love for their neighbor and in God ,in sunshine, rain and storms, in all things. Praise God!

"The death of the just: Death will reach everyone, the good and the bad; but the destiny of each one is quite different. The just man sees himself in this valley of tears as a prisoner, serving a very hard term. He considers himself a slave in this world, suffering an extremely distressing servitude. He regards himself a sailor caught in a horrible storm. And as death means an end of his confinement, an end of his slavery, and is the port of his salvation, he ceases not to cry with David, ‘Woe is me that my sojourning is prolonged!’ (Ps. 119:5)… He ceases not to ask with the Apostle’… Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (Rom. 7:24)”
-The Golden Key to Heaven, by Saint Anthony Mary Claret

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve. To thee to we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn, then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

 

[ready]

Dear Lost_Sheep,

Jesus is referred to as a Man of Sorrows and Mary as our Lady of Sorrows. If God the Father sent great suffering to Jesus and Mary who are sinless, just think of what the value of suffering must be and how necessary it must be to us all. God sends it to his friends and it truly is a mark of his friendship, says the saints. It gives us merit for heaven and for souls; it purifies our sinful hearts; it strengthens us in virtue; it detaches us from the earth, etc. – so long as we bear it like Jesus and Mary did: patiently, faithfully, courageously, lovingly, selflessly. If we fight it, we only lose and can even feel like we are living in hell; if we embrace it/accept it and offer it up in union with Christ and His sufferings, we shall only gain and can one day live eternally in heavenly bliss. Good things come to those who love the Lord and wait patiently upon Him. God bless you.

 

[Lost_Sheep]

Dear Lost_Sheep,

Jesus is referred to as a Man of Sorrows and Mary as our Lady of Sorrows. If God the Father sent great suffering to Jesus and Mary who are sinless, just think of what the value of suffering must be and how necessary it must be to us all. God sends it to his friends and it truly is a mark of his friendship, says the saints. It gives us merit for heaven and for souls; it purifies our sinful hearts; it strengthens us in virtue; it detaches us from the earth, etc. – so long as we bear it like Jesus and Mary did: patiently, faithfully, courageously, lovingly, selflessly. If we fight it, we only lose and can even feel like we are living in hell; if we embrace it/accept it and offer it up in union with Christ and His sufferings, we shall only gain and can one day live eternally in heavenly bliss. Good things come to those who love the Lord and wait patiently upon Him. God bless you.

That’s all well and good but I’ve got right now to deal with. I’d prefer not to spend my life in misery even if paradise awaits in heaven.

 

[ready]

That’s all well and good but I’ve got right now to deal with. I’d prefer not to spend my life in misery even if paradise awaits in heaven.

Yes, my friend, no misery is what you would prefer, but misery is a part of real life. Life can be extremely hard and challenging; its been this way since the fall. This existence is a test, and well designed tests are very hard and challenging. Let us thank God for the good and not dwell on the bad. If we dwell on the bad and do not give thanks for the good, we shall be VERY miserable indeed. Let us past this test before us and bear all misery like the saints did – with love for God and with patient endurance. God bless you.

 

[Lost_Sheep]

…but misery is a part of real life.

Constant?

 

[fred_conty]

How does one be happy?

Yes, it sounds like a silly question but why are some people happy and others are not?

Some people are stuck with a bad lot in life; they may have health or financial or family or some other kind of problem yet they always seem to have a smile on their face, they are always in a good mood and nothing seems to bother them.

Then there are people like me. Like everyone else, I have my problems in life but I just can’t seem to brush them off. People tell me I never smile which is true. They say “You have a nice house, a beautiful wife, a good job, etc. Why should you be sad?”

Yet I am. What am I doing wrong?

I should mention that I was diagnosed with clinical depression about 20 years ago, but hindsight tells me I have probably had it since childhood. I take a whole cocktail of antidepressant medications which barely just keeps my head above water. My doctor says that the medications can only do so much and the rest is up to me; I can choose to be happy or choose to be sad. Well, I would like to be happy of course, but how exactly do you do that? People make it seem like it is as easy as flipping a light switch.

Please don’t suggest I pray more. The thought that I can find happiness through prayer is just wishful thinking. At least it hasn’t helped in the past.

But what it all boils down to is…Jesus Christ, and what was he like? For we are suppose to be like him, as St. Paul said. So what do you think? Or should we reflect Jesus in our own personable way? And when we stop to think about it, we have Sleepy, Sneezy, Dopey, Doc, Happy, Bashful, and Grumpy. Maybe Jesus should be reflected and understood in everyone in different ways.

 

[ready]

Constant?

Dear Lost_Sheep,

Catholic priests who were cruelly tortured both mentally and physically to maximum extremes while imprisoned in Communist Russia must have experienced misery at every moment while imprisoned, but because of their faith, hope and love, and sorrow for their sins deep down within themselves, they could even experience peace, love and joy in Christ within their hearts amid their “constant” misery. One priest prisoner has even said that he had never experienced his Faith and God so intimately as he did when imprisoned in Communist Russia. Lost_Sheep, if you do everything possible – including prayer – to have true faith, hope and charity and sorrow for your sins, you will be able to experience peace, love and joy in Christ amid the “constant” misery you are experiencing, making your misery not one long constant hellish sort of misery, but a peaceful one filled with consolation and hope for a good ending – heaven’s reward to those who wait patiently for God’s assistance and reward. You say you don’t believe prayer will work and that you are impatient and seek immediate gratification. I say: tell God you wish to believe prayer will work and ask him to help you become patient and willing to wait for His help. You have been severely tested and have given up. Know that the prize only comes to those who run to win and who persevere to the very end. Hope in God, Who knows what He is doing in your life and is working all things in such a way that you can become a happy saint. He is ordering all thing for the benefit of His elect, Lost_Sheep. So think, speak and live as a hopeful, loving and faithful child of God … and you will receive just what you are seeking – happiness and peace of mind. Happiness and peace that is not rooted in Jesus Christ can not last or fully satisfy you, so don’t bother seeking it. “Seek ye therefore first the kingdom of God, and his justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.” God bless you.

 

[ynotzap]

Rom 7:24 “Who will deliver me from the body of this death( I add the most important point of this quotation) Thanks be to God, Jesus Christ our Lord” When a person in his sufferings due to a sinful life, or some other cause turns to Christ in an appeal for deliverance from suffering and Christ bestows His Spirit upon that person, he experiences great joy and happiness. If he remains faithful to God he will experience trials and pain.because he is being purified “like Gold being purified in fire”, by the power of the Spirit he will accept it for the love of Christ. He will experience peace that comes from this love, and even joy. In union with Christs suffering, he will share in God’s glory in some measured degree, this again will bring him joy even in this life. Some saints couldn’t suffer enough for the love of Christ. We are all saints by Baptism, a chosen people. We need to grow in sanctity, virtue. This love is the work of the Holy Spirit. "I will give you My Spirit that your joy may be full. It’s the Hope that He plants in our souls that gives us joy. Suffering come to all, and it is better to suffer for something good, than for something bad. Our spirits are not crushed by the tragedies of life because we are sustained by the love and strength of God. We have legitimate cause to praise, and be joyful in the Lord. It is the Holy Spirit that is causing this.

Holy Scripture testifies to this truth as follows:

Psalm 144:15 and Psalm l46:146:5 Happy the people so blessed, happy the people whose God is the Lord.
Happy those whose help is Jacob’s God, whose Hope is in the Lord their God.

Tobit: 8:l6-17: Blessed are you, who have made me glad.

l Pet 1:8; Although you have not seen Him you love Him, you rejoice with indescribable and glorious joy.

3Jn l;4 Nothing gives me greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth

Rom l5:l3 May the God of Hope fill you withall joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Act l3:52 The diciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

Gal 5:22 In contrast the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self:control.

Jonl:2 Consider it all joy, my brothers when you encounter various trials.

l thes 1:6 Receiving the word in great affection with joy from the Spirit.

I think the Holy Spirit made His point, you can have great joy and happiness in this life Although it will be complete in Heaven, inspite of this valley of tears. Its His work through our Father’s and Jesus gift of love, to us. Praise the Lord and Deo Gratias.

 

[ready]

When we experience joy in suffering we have become very close to God and most abandoned to His divine Will/Providence like the saints were/are. May each one of us experience joy in suffering, may our sufferings become very sweet. Let us ask God right now to make all our sufferings sweet.

 

[ready]

Rom 7:24 “Who will deliver me from the body of this death( I add the most important point of this quotation) Thanks be to God, Jesus Christ our Lord” When a person in his sufferings due to a sinful life, or some other cause turns to Christ in an appeal for deliverance from suffering and Christ bestows His Spirit upon that person, he experiences great joy and happiness. If he remains faithful to God he will experience trials and pain.because he is being purified “like Gold being purified in fire”, by the power of the Spirit he will accept it for the love of Christ. He will experience peace that comes from this love, and even joy. In union with Christs suffering, he will share in God’s glory in some measured degree, this again will bring him joy even in this life. Some saints couldn’t suffer enough for the love of Christ. We are all saints by Baptism, a chosen people. We need to grow in sanctity, virtue. This love is the work of the Holy Spirit. "I will give you My Spirit that your joy may be full. It’s the Hope that He plants in our souls that gives us joy. Suffering come to all, and it is better to suffer for something good, than for something bad. Our spirits are not crushed by the tragedies of life because we are sustained by the love and strength of God. We have legitimate cause to praise, and be joyful in the Lord. It is the Holy Spirit that is causing this.

Holy Scripture testifies to this truth as follows:

Psalm 144:15 and Psalm l46:146:5 Happy the people so blessed, happy the people whose God is the Lord.
Happy those whose help is Jacob’s God, whose Hope is in the Lord their God.

Tobit: 8:l6-17: Blessed are you, who have made me glad.

l Pet 1:8; Although you have not seen Him you love Him, you rejoice with indescribable and glorious joy.

3Jn l;4 Nothing gives me greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth

Rom l5:l3 May the God of Hope fill you withall joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Act l3:52 The diciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

Gal 5:22 In contrast the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self:control.

Jonl:2 Consider it all joy, my brothers when you encounter various trials.

l thes 1:6 Receiving the word in great affection with joy from the Spirit.

I think the Holy Spirit made His point, you can have great joy and happiness in this life Although it will be complete in Heaven, inspite of this valley of tears. Its His work through our Father’s and Jesus gift of love, to us. Praise the Lord and Deo Gratias.

Yes, when Christians are truly rooted in Jesus Christ and keep being built on Him they experience joy and peace on earth, in Him. When we become very holy we actually LOVE to suffer for Jesus Christ and would not want to be WITHOUT suffering, like the saints. God bless you.