Living Without School: Joy

Saturday, November 19, 2005

Joy

I posted this recently on an email list.

I would like to share this with others - joy is such an important concept for me.

Friends and I have talked a lot about joy and unschooling and our kids and our faith. How they mesh.

A and I are reading Chesterton's "Orthodoxy". We bought it yesterday. There is a great quote on joy , which I'd like to share -

"Man is more himself, man is more manlike, when joy is the fundamental thing in him, and grief the superficial. Melancholy should be an innocent interlude, a tender and fugitive frame of mind; praise should be the permanent pulsation of the soul. Pessimism is at best an emotional half-holiday; joy is the uproarious labour by which all things live......

Joy, ..... is the gigantic secret of the Christian...."

4 comments:

Karen Edmisten said...: Hello, Leonie!

I'm reminded of C.S. Lewis, too, who of course was influenced by Chesterton. In Screwtape, Lewis said:

"I divide the causes of human laughter into joy, fun, the joke proper and flippancy. You will see the first among friends and lovers reuniting on the eve of a holiday. Among adults some pretext in the way of jokes is usually provided, but the facility with which the smallest witticism produces laughter at such a time, shows that that's not the real cause. What the real cause is we do not know. Something like it is expressed in much of that detestable art which the humans call music, and something like it occurs in heaven."

And, in (I think) Letters to Malcolm, he said, "Joy is the serious business of heaven."

blessings,
Karen E.; 5:19 pm
Cay Gibson said...: Leonie,
How ironic you shared this book!

I saw this book listed in *A Thomas Jefferson Education* last night.

I think the Holy Spirit is giving me subtle hints to read it. : )
Cay; 1:57 am
Leonie said...: Karen and Cay,

Thanks for sharing your comments.

I love C.S. Lewis' Surprised by Joy - there goes that word again. :-)

A Thomas jeferson Education is on my list of books to read...

Leonie; 10:15 am
Cindy said...: Leonie,

Thank you so much for bringing these reminders to us and especially the beautiful resources, such as GKC. Joy is essential and such a beautiful part of our Catholic faith.

Keep sharing.. you are appreciated!
Cindy; 1:39 pm

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Prayer of Consecration of St. Maximilian Kolbe

O Immaculata, Queen of Heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to thee. I, N___, a repentant sinner, cast myself at thy feet humbly imploring thee to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to thyself as thy possession and property. Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases thee. If it pleases thee, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of thee: "She will crush your head," and, "Thou alone have destroyed all heresies in the whole world."

Let me be a fit instrument in thine Immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed Kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus. For wherever thou enters, one obtains the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through thy hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

V. Allow me to praise thee O Sacred Virgin.
R. Give me strength against thy enemies.

Prayer of St Bonaventure

Pierce, O most Sweet Lord Jesus, my inmost soul with the most joyous and healthful wound of Thy love, with true, serene, and most holy apostolic charity, that my soul may ever languish and melt with love and longing for Thee, that it may yearn for Thee and faint for Thy courts, and long to be dissolved and to be with Thee.Grant that my soul may hunger after Thee, the bread of angels, the refreshment of holy souls, our daily and supersubstantial bread, having all sweetness and savor and every delight of taste; let my heart ever hunger after and feed upon Thee, upon whom the angels desire to look, and may my inmost soul be filled with the sweetness of Thy savor; may it ever thirst after Thee, the fountain of life, the fountain of wisdom and knowledge, the fountain of eternal light, the torrent of pleasure, the richness of the house of God.May it ever compass Thee, seek Thee, find Thee, run to Thee, attain Thee, meditate upon Thee, speak of Thee, and do all things to the praise and glory of Thy name, with humility and discretion, with love and delight, with ease and affection, and with perseverance unto the end.May Thou alone be ever my hope, my entire assurance, my riches, my delight, my pleasure, my joy, my rest and tranquility, my peace, my sweetness, my fragrance, my sweet savor, my food, my refreshment, my refuge, my help, my wisdom, my portion, my possession and my treasure, in whom may my mind and my heart be fixed and firmly rooted immovably henceforth and for ever. Amen.