Bogosity

A beautiful little sentiment in today’s sainto’th’day…

St. David of Wales – Saint of the Day – American Catholic

restricted to hard manual labor and a diet of bread, vegetables and water, most of us would find little reason to rejoice. Yet joy is what David urged on his brothers as he lay dying. Perhaps he could say that to them—and to us—because he lived in and nurtured a constant awareness of God’s nearness. For, as someone once said, “Joy is the infallible sign of God’s presence.”

On reading this, ten years ago I would have resolved that I was never going to be sad again but instead be joyful joyful and triumphant every moment of the day. I’ve since learned that such a manic approach to life is a great leadup to a deep depressive episode so I’m now a bit wary of the idea.

However, now that I am old and wise, I realise that joy doesn’t come from a denial of negative thoughts. Manic joy can be fleeting and has it’s place in the general rollercoaster of emotional life but there is a different kind of joy that comes from a kind of confidence that doesn’t need to prove itself by whistling, smiling into space and skipping everywhere (though it may be expressed that way without our realising).

I think this second kind of joy comes from confronting and dealing with negative thoughts and negative experiences. In the secular world, we might see therapy and reflective methods as a path to this more lasting happiness. The religious among us add prayer and the work of God’s Spirit to the equation.