JoyThe Science of Happiness,

Seeking Joy, & more...

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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

6 | April 2016

The Science of Happiness

|Francine Pirola

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.

April 2016 | 9

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.

April 2016 | 13

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.

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April 2016 | 15

Masters ofJoy

|

16 | April 2016

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.

18 | April 2016

“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

April 2016 | 21

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

April 2016 | 23

“Joy is the

infalliblesign of the presence of God.” ― Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

24 | April 2016

April 2016 | 25

“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

28 | April 2016

Five Tips for a More Joyful

LifeApril 2016 | 29

Francine Pirola

30 | April 2016

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 | 33

34 | April 2016

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.

36 | April 2016

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.

April 2016 | 39

March 2016 | 41

SeasonalNotes|

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