Patience

Last time I saw my spiritual director (a funny guy up at the Dominican House of Studies), he made a very interesting point.

I asked him, "Father, as far as I know, the word patience just means, 'Not outwardly showing one's impatience.' If that's so, than how is patience compatible with joy?"

Father cocked his head in consideration. After a few moments, I asked, "Do we need to get back to this one next month?"

He answered, "Yeah, I think so. But I will tell you this: I do know that impatience is not compatible with joy." After a brief anecdote illustrating the point, we discussed some of the saints, and in every case where joy was one of their gifts, we found superhuman patience with it (St. Dominic, of course, being a prominent example). But which proceeds from which--the joy from patience, or vice-versa? Or is it a simple correlation? Father promised to do more research into patience (and joy) and get back to me next month.

When I got home, I took it upon myself to do some research myself. I found this definition of patience in John Harden's Pocket Catholic Dictionary (copyright 1985):

"A form of the moral virtue of fortitude. It enables one to endure present evils without sadness or resentment in conformity with the will of God. Patience is mainly concerned with bearing the evils caused by another. The three grades of patience are: to bear difficulties without interior complaint, to use hardships in order to make progress in virtue, and even to desire the cross and afflictions out of love for God and accept them with spiritual joy. (Etym. Latin patientia, patience, endurance; from patiens, suffering.)"

Wow--I'm at zero-for-three, there. Joy, on the other hand, is one of the "fruits of the Spirit," which means that it's a product, not the source; an end, not a means.

End analysis: If you want joy, work for patience! Impatience is not compatible with joy.

Now, uh, how exactly do I avoid that "interior complaint" that dictionary mentioned? That might be, well, kind of tricky . . .