On Boredom

[Image by Piyapong Saydaung from Pixabay]

A very kind and knowledgeable Catholic vlogger posted a short video on what he believes to be the cause of boredom, while claiming that people become bored with the pleasures of this world. 

His bottom line declaration: "Imagine not knowing the Gospel affirmation that we are created by God and for God. What would life be like? Would it not be a desperate and continual pursuit of these only partial pleasures?"

Unfortunately even the majority of those who always attend Sunday Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and believe, "We are created by God and for God." choose to feel bored. 

Why is that?

Most Christians do Not believe that God IS all Truth, Love and Virtues.  Most Christians do Not actually live their daily life for God.  God is Not really the primary focus of their day...making money and being entertained are.

"Would it {life} not be a desperate and continual pursuit of these only partial pleasures?" But this is exactly what most Christians do.  They rationalize that they know and love God, then after work / school, they make their daily decisions primarily for personal enjoyment and pleasure or the enjoyment and pleasure of others (children, spouse, and friends) over and above being with God, with or without others.

And No, that is not correct priorities.

They rationalize their "desperate and continual pursuit of partial pleasures" (usually consisting of: TV and movie watching, game playing and social media, alcohol drinking and/or smoking, even human attention) as a need in order to destress, relax or enjoy themselves.  All of which becomes bad coping idolatry. 

There are too many Catholics who believe themselves to be very Christian while not making attendance at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and working on the recognition and healing of all their sins (aka becoming a loving person) a daily priority over "food time", family or friend "fun time" and other entertainment. 

After we die, we will all realize that the former are much more important than the latter.

Furthermore, morally theologically psychologically (yes this is all one subject), the feeling or attitude of boredom is a lack of virtuousness related to the bad priorities and selfishness of wanting to be entertained.

Yes, that is why people say, "Mass is boring", "Adoration is boring", and "Learning [Truth] is boring".

When someone says they are bored and are asked the question, "Bored compared to what?", they will usually give an answer of what they primarily desire to be amused or entertained by. This is particularly a problem for all ages who entertain themselves with secular media and choose to have other types of idolatrous addictions.

The minimum we need to do for ourselves when we feel or think we are bored is:

1) repent to Jesus Christ of the bored feeling every time you experience it, and ask for His Graces, Virtues, Truth, and Love to replace it, and to show You His Truth about your boredom (We say, "I'm sorry" to Jesus for the feeling because we are making ourselves feel it by what we intellectually think, believe, expect, and want/desire.)

(also do this for your negative feelings of: stress, worry, fear, anxiety, panic, depression, hurt, offended, frustration, anger, upset, laziness, etc.)

2) ask the Holy Spirit to make you self-aware of all of your idolatrous addictions (Don't think you have any? It's anything you make more important in any moment than God and seeking and obeying His Will)

3) repent of each of them (personally tell God you are sorry and sacramentally confess it) every time you actively do them or even think about or desire to do them

4) ask God to show you how to completely replace each of them with God-coping: 

5) increase the amount of time/days you participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and Confession

6) begin or increase praying: the rosary, divine mercy chaplet, stations of the cross, and scripture readings and the writings of the saints

7) repent daily of pride, selfishness, and fear and ask God to replace them with humility, wisdom, truth, knowledge, understanding, acceptance, trust in God, prudence, discernment, mercy, generosity, purity, chastity, courage, strength, fortitude, thankfulness/gratitude, faith, hope, and charity/love.