Happy Joyful Catholics?

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Philippians 4:8 ►
like your name and photo of the bear, I hope you don’t mind me calling you Bear Bear. Here is something I looked for regarding your post: Philippians 4:8 ►
ew International Version
" Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things."
 
Thanks for the reminder. I sit at the CAF Kid’s Table, i.e. far from all of the secret chats, so it’s nice to know that there’s still a place to go to lighten up.
 
I participate in a Sunday Scripture Study small group at my parish. It is a great faith-building experience.

We used to have some members who would always have something bad to say about what Pope Francis said (or didn’t say), some big city bishop who dined with Democrats, parish priests’ homilies failing to mention hell, apocalyptic signs of the times, the wickedness of the media, and much more.

We didn’t listen well enough, I guess, so they all left. One week they just stopped showing up. One of them emailed me in what could be figuratively described as shaking the dust from his feet.

Things are much better now. We’re a lot more focused on the Sunday readings and how they relate to our faith, our lives, the Church, and the world, all with hope and trust in the Lord.
 
I know what you mean. In real life, most Catholics I know are funny and happy people. I think any other large group of people you’ll meet your fair share of grouches and unpleasant people but that’s not a Catholic thing, it’s a people thing.

Now, having said that, I think the anonymity of online interactions makes it easier to be grouchy, argumentative and unpleasant. So being online you’ll find more of those characteristics in people.
 
What a nice thread this is, at least in intent. But somehow things always seem to spin out of control on these forums. I’ve finally stopped watching the trainwreck 1950s “discussion” and come here to be edified, and shake my head to see it’s happening again.

I think there’s no question that the defining feature of any true Catholic should be joy. Deep, slow-burning joy, by the way, not the rather tawdry forms of happiness that these days are offered as counterfeits for it. As Cajun said above, we have a Saviour who loves us, who forgives our faults again and again, and we are privileged to have all the means necessary to live with Him forever in Heaven, so what’s to be gloomy about? The radiant angels have us in their special care. The glorious saints are our older brothers and sisters. Some of the most beautiful buildings in the world are ours, made for us in a very special way, homes away from home that point us to our true Home.

As most of us know this joy doesn’t mean one always has to be in chirpy good spirits and grinning ear to ear each day - it is important to distinguish joy from happiness - and I have to admit there are some religious types, both in the Church and out of it, whose gushing good spirits can sometimes feel a little suffocating. But there is so much to celebrate, even if sometimes it’s mixed with tears.

TB, don’t you dare leave these forums. I don’t post all that often, but I always find your posts eminently sensible, compassionate and orthodox. So don’t you dare leave!
 
Well, if I am being honest I have to admit it is one of the things that made it easy for me to leave the religion.

I know a lot of joyful Catholic people, but most aren’t joyful over their religion. They will even say so, as if that is the way it is supposed to be.

I couldn’t reconcile it with what I believed about God.

I think we get a lot here who fall into that camp. Maybe the truly joyful ones are out living life and don’t have much time to spend on forums. Maybe the ones who are on the forum a lot are so because they are confined to home for whatever reason. That can make a person grouchy and less joyful unless they intentionally choose to not be.

I guess we are all different, even though we are all similar.
 
Pope Francis didn’t title his encyclical “The Drudgery of the Gospel”. Methinks we should follow his lead.

Does life have its challenges and setback? Its sorrows and angers? Of course.

But I’ve read the book to the end and know how it turns out…

SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT

…we win! (Or, at least, there’s a way for us to win…we just have to follow the easy-to-follow directions…)
 
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It is easy to lose perspective on this or any internet forum. Keep in mind that you are “talking” to complete strangers, of all ages, in all types of situations, in many countries, of all dispositions in terms of their relationship to Catholicism. The internet attracts a whole lot of “drive by” off the cuff comments from folks who haven’t even read the entire thread and/or just want to insert a zinger because there are no consequences for doing so.
It is good to take a break if you feel disturbed in order to regain some of that perspective.
 
There are many depressed people too in many walks of life Catholics aren’t immune to depression many are on medication.
 
Wondering where you’ve now found joy? Do you consider yourself more joyful now that you’ve officially left the Catholic faith?
 
Limoncello4021 said:
Wondering where you’ve now found joy? Do you consider yourself more joyful now that you’ve officially left the Catholic faith?
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Well I would say I find joy in the things I have always found joy in, and the things most people find joy in. My family, my children, my work, my hobbies, natural beauty, music, meditation, taking care of other people, learning about myself and others, etc.

I have always been a joyful person by my standards, so I can’t really compare my joyfulness as it relates to my faith journey.
 
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I will probably stay on the forum and just take a break from the thread and let others speak for a bit.

We all have times of being genuinely sad and discouraged, and even physically fatigued or depressed, etc for health reasons such that we can’t just snap out of it. But setting that aside, there are definitely people who are choosing to see the glass half empty for whatever reason. Lots of posts here have provided insight about that. I feel like I spent much of my adult life, when I wasn’t practicing Catholicism very strenuously, as a Negative Nancy, and while I don’t slap a big happy face on everything nor expect myself or others to be doing the Snoopy happy dance all the time, I have come to believe that a generally positive attitude is healthier and more productive, regardless of whether we’re discussing being a Catholic or doing a job or anything else. I KNOW there is somebody who’s going to read that and go Arghhhh and not want to hear it, because I used to be that Somebody, and I want to be clear I’m not lecturing or forcing it on people, just saying what I have come to believe over many years.
 
It makes me wonder if people are only happy in their religious life on Christmas and Pascha. And I say this as someone who has suffered with, and been treated for, depression for most of my adult life.
 
Writer Henry James wrote that our faith provides us with “ultimate serenity.” I like that phrase. We all go through many moods, and these may well be essential parts of our genetic makeup or simply dependent on what the day brings us. But whether we are happy or sad, depressed or joyful on any given day, when one strives daily to be close to God–especially receiving the sacraments frequently–there’s a strong sense of “ultimate” peace, of knowing God’s in control and has already won the battle for us. All we really need to do is rest in His care. This is the “peace that passes all understanding” that Jesus told us about.
Edited to add: I don’t really think this “ultimate serenity” has much to do with being a “glass half full” or “glass half empty” person. It is something higher than that.
 
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Tis_Bearself said:
. I feel like you haven’t even read the thread and just decided to complain about it. Which in a way proves my point.
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There’s a lot of that here (or most forums or internet in general). Some people are just out to argue or pick a fight. The anonymity and safety of the internet allows people to act in ways they never would face to face. Making it worse is when they don’t read the thread or even a whole post and just quote a small bit out of context and then aggressively and rudely argue against a point that nobody made.
 
Very well said. I am young and so I might be on this Earth for another 80 years for all I know! In that time I know that I will experience great hardship and anguish. But Psalm 121 says “I lift mine eyes up onto the hills whence cometh my help”. If I am lonely I always know I am not really alone because the Lord is always there and is always comforting me more than any person could ever love or comfort me.

I think there are things our Church has to deal with. My greatest worry is that somehow the Church will allow homosexual marriage or contraception. I also have terrible scrupulosity. My whole life is spent worrying about how I may have committed a mortal sin that God wanted me to confess, or that I am doing things that are materially mortal and would be formally mortal if I knew they were bad. Scrupulosity and the future of the Church cause the greatest anguish for me.

I think fear of hell can tear someone up from the inside. I fear it so terribly, the torture, the pain and the fire. The fact that I would be there for all eternity. I think I need to learn that like all the starving innocents in Africa, you can only put it out of your mind knowing that you are doing your best.
 
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