May 29 Fri
What should I do when I feel sad?
If we are united to God, the joy of our life, nothing should make us sad. St John Chrysostom asks: “What could perturb a saint? Death? No! For he desires it as a prize. Insults? No! For Christ taught us to bear them: Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you. Illnesses? Not those either. What then could upset a saint? Nothing. In this world, even joy usually ends in sadness. But for those who live their lives according to Christ, even troubles are turned into joy."
Whatever happens, omnia in bonum! Everything works together for the good. God wants it to happen or at least allows it to happen. He sometimes even permits us to make mistakes and experience our own weakness, to draw forth good from it, to set us still more on fire with his love, and make us more sincerely humble.
“Joy is a consequence of divine filiation. It comes from our awareness that we are loved by our Father God, who always welcomes us, helps us, and forgives us."
Sadness causes grave harm to the soul because it is the fruit of pride, just as joy is the consequence of the love of God.
Cast aside sadness. Do you not realize that it is worse than any other state of mind? It is that which most discourages and rebuffs the Holy Spirit. A happy person works well, enjoys good things, and pleases God. But a sad person always acts badly.
Sadness is a great ally of the enemy. A person who is sad is in a near occasion of sin. If this grave danger should ever attack our souls, we must examine ourselves, ask for light, and look for the cause. “Happiness is a consequence of self-surrender."
At the bottom of sadness, we often find the dregs of selfishness and personal concerns. “You are not happy because you make everything revolve around yourself as if you were always the center: you have a stomachache, or you are tired, or they have said this or that...
Have you ever tried thinking about Him, and through Him, about others?"
If we are tempted to be sad, the first remedy is prayer. “You ask me to suggest a cure for your sadness. I will give you a prescription from an expert adviser, the Apostle St James: Is any of you sad? Are you sad, my son - Pray! Try it, and you will see."
Talking and listening to God will bring life back to our souls. Then, with the supernatural outlook of faith, hope, love, and desires for atonement, we will see that we only have reasons for being happy. We will resolve to remove the obstacles that separate us from the Lord, the God of our joy. Once more, we will happily serve our brothers and sisters and all people. “Our service must be carried out joyfully. Wherever there is a child of God, there must be the cheerfulness that comes from interior peace. When we have the spirit of Christ, we will do everything that we do joyfully."