Can we actually give pleasure to God?

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rodney1

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What does it mean to give pleasure to God? Can we by doing God’s will actually give pleasure to God? St Alphonsus mentions about giving pleasure and displeasure to God quite a few times in his books.

Does it mean if we do God’s will now, it would have given Jesus pleasure during the time he was on Earth? Or does Jesus Christ receive pleasure in his humanity when we do his will, even now? I have read that just as our sins gave Jesus grief during his life on Earth, our acts of reparation for our sins would have given him consolation during his life on earth in the 13th point on the following link: On Reparation to the Sacred Heart | EWTN

Also do saints in heaven receive joy and pleasure when we do God’s will?

Do the Father, Son and Holy Spirit receive pleasure when we do God’s will? I do not think we can give pleasure to God in his divinty. Please correct me if I am wrong here.
 
Four of the apologists at Catholic Answers have answered the question of whether God has emotions here:


What We Mean When We Speak of God's Emotions | Catholic Answers



In terms of Jesus’s human nature, He did have emotions like any other human being. Fr Michael Gaitley in his book “Consoling the Heart of Jesus: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat Inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius” says that we can (and should) “retroactively console” Jesus even today because He could forsee our good acts that we would perform in the future for love of Him (and that brought Him joy in His human nature). He also argues that Jesus can suffer in Heaven in a mysterious way even now (in His human nature) with His “glorified emotions”. Fr Gaitley also says Mary suffers in a mysterious way for her children still on earth too. Fr Gaitley spends a whole chapter in his book setting out how all these things are theologically possible. Check out Fr Gaitley’s book for all the details, I highly recommend it!

 
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Thank you for this excellent reply. Could you please let me know how would you interpret this prayer in one of the books by St Alphonsus: “I desire not life, except to spend it all in loving Thee and giving Thee pleasure”. Can we give pleasure to Jesus Christ in his humanity even now?
 
Well, I’m not a theologian, but if Fr Gaitley says Jesus can suffer in a mysterious way with Christians “in exile” on earth with His “glorified emotions” (in His Sacred humanity while He is in Heaven) then perhaps we can also give Jesus joy and pleasure in the “glorified emotions” (of His Sacred humanity) too? Fr Gaitley used this quote from Mary speaking to St Faustina in the Divine Mercy apparitions to show how Mary suffers with Christians on earth too:

During the night, the Mother of God visited me, holding the Infant Jesus in Her arms. My soul was filled with joy and I said, “Mary, my Mother, do You know how terribly I suffer?” And the Mother of God answered me, I know how much you suffer, but do not be afraid. I share with you your suffering, and I shall always do so. She smiled warmly and disappeared (italics in original). (Diary of St Faustina, 25)

So perhaps Mary can share our joys too!
 
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Thanks for sharing the extra information, as I’m not a theologian I don’t have the expertise to weigh and debate on these things, will leave it to the theologians! Thanks again for sharing the extra information!
 
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Well, of course I’d think. All of creation is out of order and evil often prevails to the extent that man is unaligned with God’s will. His effort since the Fall in Eden has been to rectify that situation, to gradually steer humankind back into that alignment, for our good. Love, itself, demands this and in any case as each of us do the “right thing”, especially as we come to love, ourselves, He is pleased, since we can do otherwise.
 
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