I see around me, including in myself, how people respond to terrible things in their lives.
Here are some reactions and then, the Catholic answer to how we must learn to respond to hard times.
One, people shut down. This can mean that they totally stop communicating and withdraw into themselves, or that they go into tight family circles which are inward looking and do not reach out to anyone else.
Two, people panic and turn into emotional whirlwinds, trying this and that, not being focused, causing chaos in themselves and in their families. Sometimes this chaotic response causes odd behavior, like projection.
Three, some fall into a depression and gloom, and make very bad decisions, such as leaving families, quitting jobs, or even turning to drink and drugs.
Four, some become impatient, angry and aggressive. This seems to be the most common response among men, but women can also resort to such.
Five, gross negativity and just plain meanness are other types of reactions. These types of reaction spreads like a cancer and results in murmuring, the great sin of the Israelites in the desert. Complaining creates a miasma of unfaithfulness and turns people to evil by doubting God's Divine Providence.
What should be the real Catholic response?
One, the cooperation with God and grace to go through the stages of purification so that the virtues and gifts of the spirit can be released.
Two, the release of the virtues begins in the Dark Night but becomes full in the Illuminative State. Do not procrastinate.
Three, the virtues, as I have written many times here, are given at baptism and the gifts at confirmation, but are blocked by sin and the tendency to sin. Therefore, those virtues, which one can read about from the tags, must be nurtured through suffering, purification, prayer.
Four, now is the time to develop these virtues, gifts, which lead to the fruits: faith, hope, charity, prudence, justice, charity, temperance, wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
St. Paul was shipwrecked, scourged, imprisoned and so on. Do you think he was anxious, crabby, rude, impatient, angry? No.
If you are not working on being virtuous in your daily life, how will you respond in very hard times?
More below on this theme....
19 Jul 2013
Two, she could not understand why the army of St. Joshua had to kill Canaanites. (Also connected to this, would be the slaughter of the Philistines by St. David.) Good questions. Yes, God did punish many of those who built ...
26 Jul 2013
Caleb and Joshua are two of my favourite Old Testament heroes. But, I tend to like the John Wayne men, such as David and the Maccabees. It is interesting that some of the most numinous and direct revelations of God and ...
27 Jul 2013
Joshua and Caleb had pure hearts, as did those who were the children of the slaves of Egypt. A new standard was necessary to enter, and conquer the Promised Land. That standard was purity of heart. Even though Moses is ...
26 Jul 2013
But, the GPS kicks in at one time and there is a narrow escape which needs angelic intervention-angels on horses may not work....studying Joshua and Maccabees for backup and see some very handsome, well-armoured ...
08 Dec 2012
Moses, Joshua, David, Daniel, and many others asked God for great things, including the revelation of the Glory of God. We do not ask because we are afraid to lose our own judgement. When we ask for God to do great things ...
09 Sep 2013
We call these men and women saints-Judith, Esther, Ruth, Joshua, Jacob, Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David, the prophets, the Maccabees, etc. They believed in the promise without the fullness of revelation. These were the ...
