10 Commandments against Misery
I was going through my old files and came upon this yellowed newspaper clipping. It’s from Fr. Joseph Galdon’s column, “Mustard Seed”, which was printed out in July 4, 1999. So now you know what kind of a pack rat I am! I decided to post it here, so I’ll have a virtual copy. Something I can refer to in the future, when I’m feeling down. Plus, the paper can be recycled! Hooray! ;->
10 Commandments against misery
Mustard Seed,
Joseph Galdon, S.J.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 4, 1999, p. D2
We life in a world where life is often very miserable. The misery in our human lives began in the Garden of Eden (the garden of peace and contentment and happiness and no misery!), when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s commandment and followed the devil’s advice. They had to go out of the Garden of Eden then, into the world of misery.
The dictionary says that “misery” in our life is a sad state of distress. We have lots of worries about grades in school, about getting a boyfriend or girlfriend, a good job, a new car or house, or a visa to the US.
Psychologists and psychiatrists say that misery in our life is a state of distress and wretchedness. Misery makes us deeply afflicted, very rejected and terribly distressed, woeful and grievous. Our misery and our wretchedness are also because of our evil things in life and our sins. When we sin we are miserable because we are wretches and bitches. Therefore, in misery we are discomforted and not at ease, and physically and mentally distressed.
Misery comes from our suffering in enduring and tolerating evil, injury and sin. Misery is pain of mind and body, and anguish and torture.
A spiritual poet says: “Lord, I don’t feel so good because of ills that fret my soul! These little quirks in misery that come my way obscure the path for me to reach my goal. Now, Lord, You know how weak and miserable I am, so lend me Your hand here and help me rise above these sores of mine in all good faith and cheer. When sorry, grief or irritants conspire to tear my mind, remind me, Lord my God, that You can make me whole and happy and holy. Your strength is all I really need to ease these misery problems. I look to You alone, my God, to tame this wild complexity and this misery of mine!”
10 Commandments against misery
A seminary professor taught us that there are 10 commandments to overcome misery in our lives. If we do not want to be miserable, we should not violate these commandments as Adam and Eve violated God’s commandment of obedience in the Garden of Eden.
The professor said that miserable people should first not feel sorry for themselves. Self-pity makes us miserable.
Don’t feel sorry for yourself. Nothing is more certain to make you miserable than self-pity. Therefore, don’t be sorry for yourself or have pity on yourself.
Use sorrow for others and have pity for them to overcome your own misery.
Second, don’t worry about things that might happen, but probably won’t. Foolish worry is just as miserable as self-pity.
Third, don’t complain or find fault in others and every other thing. Many people cultivate complaints, and that is what makes them miserable.
Fourth, don’t insist on having your own way, but seek God’s will in your life instead.
Fifth, don’t ridicule. What is life if you embarrass and hurt other people?
Sixth, don’t over-react. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. Don’t make things worse than they are.
Seventh, don’t be selfish and self-centered. Give your thoughts and life to God and others. Help the needy. Be sure to support the poor.
Eighth, don’t ignore the moral teachings of your religious tradition or the moral teachings of history and culture. Don’t disregard the ethical principles and the good things in life.
Ninth, be sure to improve your spirituality. In other words, convince yourself that you are trying to be a good person. We need prayer and we need God to help us overcome our misery.
The 10th commandment is “Don’t quit!” When things go wrong as they sometimes will, when the road you are trudging seems all uphill, and care is pressing you down a lot, you may rest a bit, but don’t quit. Keep on trying to be a better person. Keep on smiling, praying and trying to do better in life!
The seminary professor said that if you really don’t want to be miserable, it isn’t very difficult to overcome misery in life. These 10 commandments always work!
If you follow them you will overcome the misery in your life. Holiness will also help overcome our misery. Jesus says: I am the vine and you are the branches. He who lives in Me, and I in him, will not be miserable. Live in my love! You will live in my love if you keep my commandments (which are like all these commandments of the Professor!). I tell you this that my joy may be yours and you will not be miserable.”
We are often miserable, but we should not do all those things that cause the misery in our lives. We must follow the rules of the professor and the rules of Jesus that will help us overcome misery in our lives and make us happy.
The Sunshine Smile
In our misery, we need the sunshine smile of God! “Our day is not complete or happy when you are not around, Oh Lord! Your cheerful face shows how much You love and care for us, even if the dark clouds push away the sun. When we see You smile, Oh Lord, it brings back the sunshine in our lives and overcomes our misery.”
It is true that we must smile with God in our lives to overcome our misery. We must let a song of happiness be our smile when we hear God and the Holy Spirit, as well as the thoughts of the seminary professor, in our misery. Christ says: “Come to me all you who are in misery and I will give you comfort and healing. I will help you smile!”
The smile of God and holiness is really the best cure for the misery in our lives!
So let us pray to God and the Holy Spirit in our misery, and follow all these suggestions for the removal of our misery.
“Come, Holy Spirit, spirit of God and spirit of Christ!
Be with us today and always in our misery!
Be our light and our guide and our comforter, our strength,
Our courage, and our sacrifice.
May you be a deep spiritual growth for us in our misery.
May we welcome your graces and your gifts,
Instead of all our personal worries in our misery.
May we forgive freely and unconditionally every one else and
All our problems, and grow in virtue and goodness instead of misery.
Come Holy Spirit, and be with us today and every day in all our misery.”
We will not be miserable if we are holy. We will be happy if we are holy!
10 Commandments against misery
Mustard Seed,
Joseph Galdon, S.J.
Philippine Daily Inquirer, July 4, 1999, p. D2
We life in a world where life is often very miserable. The misery in our human lives began in the Garden of Eden (the garden of peace and contentment and happiness and no misery!), when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s commandment and followed the devil’s advice. They had to go out of the Garden of Eden then, into the world of misery.
The dictionary says that “misery” in our life is a sad state of distress. We have lots of worries about grades in school, about getting a boyfriend or girlfriend, a good job, a new car or house, or a visa to the US.
Psychologists and psychiatrists say that misery in our life is a state of distress and wretchedness. Misery makes us deeply afflicted, very rejected and terribly distressed, woeful and grievous. Our misery and our wretchedness are also because of our evil things in life and our sins. When we sin we are miserable because we are wretches and bitches. Therefore, in misery we are discomforted and not at ease, and physically and mentally distressed.
Misery comes from our suffering in enduring and tolerating evil, injury and sin. Misery is pain of mind and body, and anguish and torture.
A spiritual poet says: “Lord, I don’t feel so good because of ills that fret my soul! These little quirks in misery that come my way obscure the path for me to reach my goal. Now, Lord, You know how weak and miserable I am, so lend me Your hand here and help me rise above these sores of mine in all good faith and cheer. When sorry, grief or irritants conspire to tear my mind, remind me, Lord my God, that You can make me whole and happy and holy. Your strength is all I really need to ease these misery problems. I look to You alone, my God, to tame this wild complexity and this misery of mine!”
10 Commandments against misery
A seminary professor taught us that there are 10 commandments to overcome misery in our lives. If we do not want to be miserable, we should not violate these commandments as Adam and Eve violated God’s commandment of obedience in the Garden of Eden.
The professor said that miserable people should first not feel sorry for themselves. Self-pity makes us miserable.
Don’t feel sorry for yourself. Nothing is more certain to make you miserable than self-pity. Therefore, don’t be sorry for yourself or have pity on yourself.
Use sorrow for others and have pity for them to overcome your own misery.
Second, don’t worry about things that might happen, but probably won’t. Foolish worry is just as miserable as self-pity.
Third, don’t complain or find fault in others and every other thing. Many people cultivate complaints, and that is what makes them miserable.
Fourth, don’t insist on having your own way, but seek God’s will in your life instead.
Fifth, don’t ridicule. What is life if you embarrass and hurt other people?
Sixth, don’t over-react. Don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. Don’t make things worse than they are.
Seventh, don’t be selfish and self-centered. Give your thoughts and life to God and others. Help the needy. Be sure to support the poor.
Eighth, don’t ignore the moral teachings of your religious tradition or the moral teachings of history and culture. Don’t disregard the ethical principles and the good things in life.
Ninth, be sure to improve your spirituality. In other words, convince yourself that you are trying to be a good person. We need prayer and we need God to help us overcome our misery.
The 10th commandment is “Don’t quit!” When things go wrong as they sometimes will, when the road you are trudging seems all uphill, and care is pressing you down a lot, you may rest a bit, but don’t quit. Keep on trying to be a better person. Keep on smiling, praying and trying to do better in life!
The seminary professor said that if you really don’t want to be miserable, it isn’t very difficult to overcome misery in life. These 10 commandments always work!
If you follow them you will overcome the misery in your life. Holiness will also help overcome our misery. Jesus says: I am the vine and you are the branches. He who lives in Me, and I in him, will not be miserable. Live in my love! You will live in my love if you keep my commandments (which are like all these commandments of the Professor!). I tell you this that my joy may be yours and you will not be miserable.”
We are often miserable, but we should not do all those things that cause the misery in our lives. We must follow the rules of the professor and the rules of Jesus that will help us overcome misery in our lives and make us happy.
The Sunshine Smile
In our misery, we need the sunshine smile of God! “Our day is not complete or happy when you are not around, Oh Lord! Your cheerful face shows how much You love and care for us, even if the dark clouds push away the sun. When we see You smile, Oh Lord, it brings back the sunshine in our lives and overcomes our misery.”
It is true that we must smile with God in our lives to overcome our misery. We must let a song of happiness be our smile when we hear God and the Holy Spirit, as well as the thoughts of the seminary professor, in our misery. Christ says: “Come to me all you who are in misery and I will give you comfort and healing. I will help you smile!”
The smile of God and holiness is really the best cure for the misery in our lives!
So let us pray to God and the Holy Spirit in our misery, and follow all these suggestions for the removal of our misery.
“Come, Holy Spirit, spirit of God and spirit of Christ!
Be with us today and always in our misery!
Be our light and our guide and our comforter, our strength,
Our courage, and our sacrifice.
May you be a deep spiritual growth for us in our misery.
May we welcome your graces and your gifts,
Instead of all our personal worries in our misery.
May we forgive freely and unconditionally every one else and
All our problems, and grow in virtue and goodness instead of misery.
Come Holy Spirit, and be with us today and every day in all our misery.”
We will not be miserable if we are holy. We will be happy if we are holy!
posted by shy @ 7:26 AM
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