Suggested Reading:



Learn your Faith through this free series of  video presentations by
Dominican Friars

St. Thomas Institute

St. Thomas Institute



P
ope Saint Pius V

Pope Saint Pius V pray for Holy Mother Church, for Heresies abound

Pray for Holy Mother Church,
for heresies abound


Boston Catholic Journal

Write us:

editor@boston-catholic-journal.com

Boston Catholic Journal

HOME


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Boston Catholic Journal - Critical Catholic Commentary in the Twilight of Reason

 

 

 

PEACE OF MIND

 

Chi Ro Christogram -first two letters of CHRISTOS


Who doesn’t want it?

Who has it?

How do we achieve it?

Peace of mind requires discipline. There is no way around it. No one wants discipline because discipline requires effort; it requires consistency.

How many books have been written about “Peace of Mind” and how to acquire it!

How many times have we been told, “Have peace of mind!” It is much like telling a hungry man, “Be full!” It doesn’t work. The hungry man must work to eat his bread. Likewise, we must put effort into attaining peace of mind. There is no solution apart from effort. Let this sink in. There is no solution without effort.

If you cannot agree with this first point, then forget the rest of this article — it will be useless to you — and so will every other “effortless” means that you search for. It is one reason that the corrosive culture of drugs has become so prevalent: euphoria without effort. “Just smoke this, snort that, or take this pill.” It is a lazy man’s means to a fictional and all too often tragic end.

Do you want peace of mind? Memorize these words:

“All things work together for the good for those who love God.”

Prefer Latin? Scimus autem qouniam diligentibus Deum, omnia cooperantur in bonum.”

This is from Saint Paul’s Epistle to the Romans (8.28)

Absolutely nothing — nothing — happens to you except that God either wills it or allows it; most often for your own sanctification, but always to the good, no matter how opaque it seems to you, regardless of how blind you are to it … nothing. NOTHING!

You must work at believing this. You must put effort into incorporating this absolutely vital understanding. Your happiness depends on it, and thus, your peace of mind.

If what Saint Paul tells us is so, then why worry? Why fear? Why become annoyed? Angry? Each of these deprives you of peace — and you know it!

Why let them enter your mind since they are harmful to you? The choice, after all, is yours. We always choose to allow these things to consume us. Why? It is easier. It is really that simple. It is easier to choose/allow/permit ourselves to become angry. To choose to restrain it is work. And, as I had said, we are lazy. It requires effort to suppress anger, and especially fear. It is easier to let them devour us (and others along with us) than it is to spit them out as the poison that they are.

It is easier, more pleasant, requires less effort, to swallow honey tinged with poison than to vomit it out as deadly to you. It is easier to savor than to spit. And this is the point: expectoration, spitting out as of something vile and harmful to you. Anger, fear, worry, anxiety — everything that robs you of peace of mind: you either choose to swallow or spit out. The choice is yours. And so are the consequences.

Do you believe in God? Then you know that all things are within His providence. He is almighty, all-knowing. He is perfectly loving beyond your comprehension. He is absolutely, incomprehensibly good. And all things are in His hands.

I am not going to get into a theodicy here (a defense of God’s goodness in the face of existing evil). I discuss that elsewhere (
https://www.boston-catholic-journal.com/the-problem-of-evil-exonerating-god.htm ) and suggest you spend some time on it.

I am writing to the believing Catholic, to the believing Christian, and if you will, to all men (and yes, of course, to women as well, if I must waste my time being be tiresomely “correct”).

If , as I have said, “Absolutely nothing — nothing — happens to you except that God either wills it or allows it; most often for your own sanctification, but always to the good, no matter how opaque it seems to you, regardless of how blind you are to it” then you have the not-so-secret “secret” of peace of mind. If God Himself is behind all that befalls you and causes you worry, fear, anger, anxiety, and so on — if this present affliction “works to your good”, then why fear it? Why be angered by it? Annoyed with it? He is allowing it for your own good — and Who knows what is good for you better than God Himself? You? I don’t think so.

Saint Paul’s words can be summarized as this: Trust in God Who loves you and will never fail you. If you love Him, everything works together for your good. Everything. Always. Everywhere.

That is peace of mind. It is not within you. It is in God alone. We’ve all tried to find it elsewhere … and we have all been disillusioned and disabused, every one of us outside of God.


 

Geoffrey K. Mondello
Editor
Boston Catholic Journal

   Printable PDF Version

Comments? Write us:  editor@boston-catholic-journal.com

 

 


 

Boston Catholic Journal

Totally Faithful to the Sacred Deposit of Faith entrusted to the Holy See in Rome
 

Scio opera tua ... quia modicum habes virtutem, et servasti verbum Meum, nec non negasti Nomen Meum 
I know your works ... that you have but little power, and yet you have kept My word, and have not denied My Name. (Apocalypse 3.8)

Copyright © 2004 - 2024 Boston Catholic Journal. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise stated, permission is granted by the Boston Catholic Journal for the copying and distribution of the articles and audio files under the following conditions:  No additions, deletions, or changes are to be made to the text or audio files in any way, and the copies may not be sold for a profit. In the reproduction, in any format of any image, graphic, text, or audio file, attribution must be given to the Boston Catholic Journal.

 

 

Prayer to Mary

Precatio ad Mariam pro Beata Morte - Prayer to Mary for a Happy Death
for a
Happy Death

 



Search the Boston Catholic Journal


Basic Catholic
Audio

Free Catholic Audio Library
in Latin & English


Audio Books,
devotions, and
prayers
:
L
isten to them
or download them

completely free


Baltimore

Catechism

online

Baltimore Catechism - the most authoritative Catholic Catechism ever printed

Discover what
the Church

has taught for

2000 Years
before Vatican II

Newly Formatted
with hyperlinks
for improved readability

Read online
or

Download the PDF


The Little Office

The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary
of the
Blessed Virgin Mary


Pope Pius V Catechism of Trent

Catechism of the Council of Trent New Edition

New Edition (free)



Novena to
St Jude

 Novena to St Jude Printable 4-fold with one piece of paper

Printable Booklet
on 1 sheet
of paper, 4-fold, free


Pope Saint Pius X
Pray for us

Pope Saint Pius X pray for us

“I shall spare myself neither
care nor labor nor vigils for
the salvation of souls”

Home