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Pope Francis is big on joy. Not only is he always smiling and delighting in the people he meets, many of his writings express the joy he has in his faith. His first two (not counting the one he finished for Pope Benedict), The Joy of the Gospel and Praised Be!, are firmly planted in the theme of joy.
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2 | March 2016
Contents
March 2016 | 3
FROM THE EDITOR ........................... P. 4SEEKING JOYFrancine Pirola
COVER STORY .................................. P. 6THE SCIENCE OF HAPPINESS Francine Pirola
LIFESTYLE .......................................... P. 28FIVE TIPS FOR A MORE JOYFUL LIFEFrancine Pirola
INSPIRATION ....................................... P. 16
MASTERS OF JOYKiara Pirola
SEASONAL NOTES ............................. P.41EASTER OCTAVE & SPECIAL FEASTS - ACTIVITIES, RECIPES, CRAFT
4 | March 2016
Pope Francis is big on joy.
Not only is he always smiling and
delighting in the people he meets,
many of his writings express the
joy he has in his faith. His first two
(not counting the one he finished
for Pope Benedict), The Joy of the
Gospel and Praised Be!, are firmly
planted in the theme of joy.
A related topic, happiness, is
one of the hottest trends in pop
psychology. Based in a relatively
new branch of psychology
known as ‘positive psychology’,
the ‘Happiness Movement’ has
spawned conferences, books,
talks, reality tv shows and more.
Not surprisingly, much of the
positive psychology research is
affirming some of the long held
principles of the Judeo-Christian
tradition. Read on as we unpack
some of the insights.
Enjoy!
Francine PirolaCathFamily Founder & Interim Editor
From the Editor
March 2016 | 5
THIS MONTHApr 2016
Sun 3 Easter 2 (Divine Mercy)
Mon 4 The Annunciation
Tue 5 St Vincent Ferrer
Thu 7 St John Baptist de la Salle
Sun 10 Easter 3
Mon 11 St Stanislaus
Wed 13 St Pope Martin I
Sun 17 Easter 4
Thu 21 St Anslem
Sat 23 St George & St Adalbert
Sun 23 Easter 5
Mon 25 ANZAC Day (Australia)
Tue 26 St Mark
Wed 27 St Louis de Monfort
Thu 28 St Peter Chanel
Fri 29 St Catherine of Siena
Sat 30 St Pius V
April 2016 | 7
We all strive for happiness. One
would think that it would be a
fairly simple project: minimise
pain and maximise pleasure.
Turns out, it’s not that simple
and instinct often leads us in the
wrong direction. We expect that
money, comfort, possessions and
power, for example, will deliver
happiness and that more of them
will deliver more of it.
While there may be some
transitory delight in these things
on initial acquisition, none of these
things are capable of providing
enduring happiness.
Beyond a sufficiency in the basic needs for food, clothing and shelter, more resources don’t add up to more happiness. This is borne out in research:
citizens in wealthier countries are
not happier than those in poorer
ones provided that basic needs
are met.
The popularity of the ‘Happiness Movement’ was preceded by
extensive study across multiple disciplines from philosophy, religion,
and sociology. Called ‘Positive Psychology’, the insights are extremely
helpful in explaining how we experience positive emotion. One of the
key insights is that there is more than one type ‘happiness’.
The Happiness Experiences
8 | April 2016
Hedonism: This is a kind of
positive experience
that results from the satisfaction
of a desire, such as desiring
a delicious food or consumer
item. The experience of
happiness tends to be
transitory.
1. Engagement: This is the experience
of being ‘lost in time
and space’ when fully engaged
in a task. Sometimes called
‘flow’, it may also result in
emotions of satisfaction and
pride beyond the event itself.
2.
Meaning: This is the experience of fulfilment associated with living a
‘good life’, sometimes called virtues or spiritual strengths. It
often involves the activity of service of others and is generally more
enduring in its impact.
3.
10 | April 2016
The Happiness ParadoxSurprisingly, one of the best ways
to experience happiness is to NOT
directly pursue it. Happiness can
be more reliably experienced as a
by-product of focussing on making
others happy.
April 2016 | 11
Joy or Happiness?Joy is counted among the fruits of
the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5: 22-23),
and is different to happiness.
Happiness can be defined as the
feeling of pleasure when a need
or desire is met. Unhappiness
results when we expect that need
or desire to be met, and it isn’t.
Happiness is a superficial, fleeting
emotion. It fades quickly unless
the need or desire is met again
and again.
12 | April 2016
Joy on the other hand, is a deep seated
attitudinal emotion. It is associated with
spiritual values and is more lasting than
happiness.
The joyful person knows their value and goodness and remains positive about their life even in the face of great suffering.
Thus, it is possible to be unhappy and
joyful at the same time.
Too many people, including married
couples and parents, focus on happiness
rather than joy.
We focus on satisfying superficial desires and overlook the deeper longings of the heart.
An obvious example is the parent who
caves in and buys their child a new toy,
when really what the child desires is more
attention and time.
14 | April 2016
Attention and time (in other
words, love) gives a child (or a
spouse) a sense of their value,
of their inestimable worth. It
develops within them an attitude, a
certain perspective that sees and
experiences life as a privilege.
We say, ‘we just want our
children/spouse to be
happy’, but happiness really
is a very low goal. Rather,
aim for joy: a lasting
and empowering perspective
that gives us meaning and
fulfilment that endures.
|
April 2016 | 17
Definition of JOY1. a: the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or
good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what
one desires.
b: the expression or exhibition of such emotion
2. a state of happiness or felicity
3. a source or cause of delight
"Joy." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.
Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all
the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately
everything is going to be alright, and the determined
choice to praise God in every situation.
- Rick Warren
Joy is a state of mind and an orientation of the heart. It is
a settled state of contentment, confidence and hope. It
appears 88 times in the Old Testament in 22 books; 57
times in the New Testament in 18 books.
“Everyone should be able to experience
the joy of being loved by God, the joy of salvation. It is
the gift that one cannot keep to oneself, but it is
to be shared.”- Pope Francis
April 2016 | 19
Ours is not a joy born of having many possessions, but of having encountered a Person: Jesus, in our midst.” ― Pope Francis, The Church of Mercy
20 | April 2016
Joy is prayer; joy is strength; joy is love; joy is a net of
love by which you can catch souls.
Bl. Teresa of Kolkata
22 | April 2016
“Christians should appear as people who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and who invite others to a delicious banquet.”
26 | April 2016
“Christians should appear as people who wish to share their joy, who point to a horizon of beauty and who invite others to a delicious banquet.”
April 2016 | 27
― Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel: Evangelii Gaudium
April 2016 | 31
1. GratitudeGratitude is the superfood of the soul. It
has been noted as an important tool in
resisting depressive thinking and can
have an immediate positive impact on
our mood.
Gratitude fosters the habit of counting
our blessings, of noticing the many,
often over-looked, goods in our life, thus
helping us to be more optimistic and
resilient in the face of challenges.
32 | April 2016
2. PresenceMemories and dreams are both important:
they keep us in touch with our history and
connected to our future. However, authentic
joy can only be experience in the present
moment.
It’s amazing how little time and attention we often give to the miraculous present.
Also called 'mindfulness', presence is
the practice of attuning our attention to
the moment. It helps us to appreciate
unnoticed details, listen deeply, gaze
intently and connect profoundly with the
one in front of us. It is a powerful strategy
for awakening our sense of the divine in
every day moments.
April 2016 | 35
3. ForgivenessNothing kills our joy faster than resentment. It’s
like a poison that pollutes our soul and cripples
our spirit.
Resentments accumulate and become toxic
to spiritual and bodily health when we fail to
forgive. The one harmed most in this dynamic
is ourselves and those close to us, especially
our spouse and children.
Forgiveness is not to deny that we have been
injured, sometimes severely and unjustly,
rather it is to redeem it. Remember that
forgiveness is not an emotion; it’s a decision of
the will to let go of your resentment.
Ultimately, it is one of the greatest acts of self-love.
April 2016 | 37
4. HumilitySometimes the hardest person to forgive is
ourselves. We berate ourselves for being
stupid, lazy, undisciplined, selfish, or any
number of inadequacies or mistakes we may
have made.
Such negative self-accusation can hold
us captive in the past and prevent us of
accessing one of the most powerful ‘feel-
good’ traditions of our faith: the mercy of
God.
Surprisingly, our pride and lack of humility
is often the biggest barrier to seeking God’s
mercy. Humility should not be confused with
negative self-esteem. In the words of C.S.
Lewis
“Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it's thinking of yourself less”.
About Francine PirolaFrancine is the founder of CathFamily and its first editor. She is the mother of five children and has been married to Byron for 28 years. She has been working in marriage enrichment and prepartion with Byron for over twenty years.
38 | April 2016
5. CompassionLiterally meaning ‘with feeling’, compassion
helps us connect with the interior
experience of others and develop an
awareness of the needs of others.
Compassion motivates us for service of
others and helps to develop selflessness.
It may seem counter-intuitive because
we assume that pursuing our own needs
and goals would be more likely to make
us happy, in fact, it is when we think about
and serve others that we are more likely to
experience joy.
PARENTING
Family Flick Pick: EasterEaster is the perfect time to organise a family
movie night! Pop some popcorn and get comfy
with these Easter themed family-friendly short
list that CathFamily has compiled...
PRAYERStations of GloryEaster is not just a weekend, it’s a whole
season! This variation on Stations of the Cross
focus on the Resurrection and what happened
next...
CRAFT & RECIPES
7 Ways to Enjoy Easter EggsEaster eggs have a long and rich history
that goes back well before the invention of
chocolate....
Recipes, Activities & Prayers
Easter Octave
42 | April 2016
INSPIRATION
God is Here: The EucharistThe feast of Corpus Christi gives us an
opportunity to reflect anew on the real and
living presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. ..
PRAYER
Embracing Divine Mercy EverydayWhy not try some of these simple things with
your family to introduce them to Divine Mercy?
CRAFT
Corpus Christi Stained ‘Glass’ WindowCelebrate the feast of Corpus Christi with this
simple craft activity. Younger kids might need
help with the cutting part but are free to go
nuts with colour and materials in the taping
part…
Special Feasts
For more ideas and inspiration visit www.CathFamily.org
April 2016 | 43
44 | April 2016
Mercy Print Edition
A special limited print edition for the Jubilee Year of Mercy, MERCY contains a refresher guide to the Sacrament of
Reconciliation, testimonials, Pope Francis’ reflections on God’s mercy and tips for taking mercy into our relationships. Limited
quantities. For more information and orders visit
CathFamily.org