Why Are You Weeping? Diagnosing & Remedying Sorrow in the Spiritual Life

We all experience sorrow. Tears are part and parcel of being human, at least this side of Heaven. As the Church Pilgrim, our earthly journey is often made through a "Valley of Tears." We are called to follow Christ. He felt the greatest sorrow ever known. "Why are you weeping?" is the question Our Lord asks each soul. "Are your tears bringing you towards Me or away from Me? Is your sorrow turning you inwards or outwards, focusing you on Me and your neighbor or solely on yourself?" There are different kinds of sorrow. For a happy and healthy spiritual life (which affects our physical life!), we must first diagnose the symptoms of each kind of sorrow before applying the remedies. The distinction between the different kinds of sorrow may seem obvious; however, unfruitful and even spiritually fatal misdiagnoses are made by sincere souls all the time. This book explores the explications of Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition on the topic of sorrow as given by the "happy Doctor" of the Church, St. Thomas Aquinas.-- from the Introduction