"WilT:
Laughing without making others the object of ridicule is very, very, hard to do.
You kinda make it sound like it’s an impossible task. Have u read all the countless jokes in the Protestant Vs. Catholic Jokes threads that we have here on CAF?
Or how about some of the writings of St. Teresa of Avila? Or how about the jokes of St. Padre Pio, who yes, in fact, liked to tell jokes, and was actually pleased when others would laugh at his jokes. One of my favorite ones is this one about
“The Ox”:
***Carlo Campanini told his doctor in Florence: Tomorrow I’m going to see Padre Pio. The doctor replied: ‘He is a hysterical who got the wound by thinking too much about Jesus on the Cross.’
When Campanini visited Padre Pio, Padre Pio told him: “When you see your doctor, tell him to think intensely about being an ox. Let’s see if he grows horns.”** *
WilT:
How many good things are said about laughter? The lack of #'s should be telling you something.
Let me answer your question with a question. How many times is Mary’s Assumption spoken about or hinted at? Maybe once in Revelations? So does this lack of or infrequent mention of it tell us something negative about it? Bottom line is, a lack of or infrequent mentioning about a certain topic or concept doesn’t necessarily devalue or reflect the importance of it.
how many times in the New Testament do you see the word laugh or laughter. Now of the 1 or 2 how many are positive?
Honestly, u got me here. But good thing our friendly neighborhood Google is here to save the day!
This
site supposedly gives 15 Bible verses on laughter. I’m not sure how accurate the translations are, though, since they are coming from the ESV Bible, which I believe is a Protestant Bible. In any case, there are at least, a few positive verses in relation to laughing (there might be more, but I’m not going to list them):
**Proverbs 17:22 ESV **
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
**Psalm 126:2 ESV **
Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
**Job 8:21 ESV **
He will yet fill your mouth with laughter, and your lips with shouting.
**Ecclesiastes 3:4 ESV **
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
The one that I like the best though is:
Genesis 21: 3-6 Douay-Rheims Bible
*3 And Abraham called the name of his son, whom Sara bore him, Isaac.
4 And he circumcised him the eighth day, *as God had commanded him,
5 When he was a hundred years old: for at this age of his father, was Isaac born.
6 And Sara said: God hath made a laughter for me: whosoever shall hear of it will laugh with me.*
The thing that I find pretty significant here is the meaning of Isaac’s name, which means “he laughs”. Though Sarah had been barren and was very old, God made it possible for her to still have a child, and because of this joyous occasion, she was able to say what she did in verse 6,
“God hath made a laughter for me; whosoever shall hear of it will laugh with me.”
Haydock’s commentary says this about verse 6:
This word signifies laughter; (Challoner) or “he shall laugh,” and be the occasion of joy to many, as St. John the Baptist was, Luke i. 14; and thus Sara seems to explain it, ver. 6.
WilT:
You won’t see much in the New Testament nor in the Old! Why? Because laughter is too closely linked to today’s “Partying” or for “Debasing others”. It is often times ego centric and lacking of humility.
With all due respect, I’ll have to disagree with u here as to why the concept of laughter isn’t mentioned supposedly that much, with the reason being as what I had mentioned earlier about the lack of or infrequent mentioning about a certain topic or concept in the Bible as not necessarily devaluing or reflecting the importance of it. I will agree with u, though, that there is much laughter that debases others and are lacking of humility. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that laughter can be used as a good “weapon” for the spiritual good of others, as St. Philip Neri used it, St. Padre Pio, St. Teresa of Avila, etc…
One great Saint made it a point to make himself the object of laughter. In doing so he accumulated many spiritual graces.
While this appears to be true, from what I’ve read about St. Philip Neri, he actually rubs off as a major supporter of humor and good jokes, though.
Here’s a little excerpt from
Catholic.org about him that explains how he used humor for the spiritual growth of others:
"Humility was the most important virtue he tried to teach others and to learn himself. Some of his lessons in humility seem cruel, but they were tinged with humor like practical jokes and were related with gratitude by the people they helped. His lessons always seem to be tailored directly to what the person needed. One member who was later to become a cardinal was too serious and so Philip had him sing the Misere at a wedding breakfast. When one priest gave a beautiful sermon, Philip ordered him to give the same sermon six times in a row so people would think he only had one sermon. "
I would get along just fine with this guy! Also, I appreciate u bringing up St. Philip Neri as I wasn’t all too familiar with him, so u gave me a good excuse to read up on this great saint, and I appreciate that! Thanks!
That is an extreme that the catechism doesn’t even teach, it only denounces “immoderate laughter”. Perhaps it would be helpful for u to speak to your parish priest about this.
