What to Do When Life Doesn't Make Sense

by Benedict J. Groeschel

Presents ways of dealing with suffering.

Genres: Catholic, Religion, Spirituality, Psychology, Christian, Nonfiction, Theology

Audio Cassette

First published December 1, 1995

About the author

Benedict Joseph Groeschel, C.F.R. (July 23, 1933 – October 3, 2014) was an American Franciscan friar, Catholic priest, retreat master, author, psychologist, activist and television host. He hosted the television talk program Sunday Night Prime broadcast on the Eternal Word Television Network as well as several serial religious specials. He founded the Office for Spiritual Development for the Catholic Archdiocese of New York. He was Associate Director of the Trinity Retreat House for clergy and executive director of St. Francis House. He was professor of pastoral psychology at St. Joseph's Seminary in New York and an adjunct professor at the Institute for Psychological Sciences in Arlington, Virginia. He was one of the founders of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and among his close friends were Mother Teresa, Mother Angelica and Alice von Hildebrand.

Reviews

[RM(Alwaysdaddygirl)]

Interesting. I cannot handle. I was reading very slowly. I will pick up down the road and finish it.


🇺🇸🦋

[Gary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can by just reading the first chapter give this book 5 stars. It is funny how life works, and God's Spirit moves. I bought this book when it first came out, being a bibliophile it looked like a book that would be very worthwhile.

Well I read a bit but just could not get into it. Well fast forward 12 years. Yesterday I was unpacking some of my boxed books and their it was. I set it aside and when I added it to my goodreads library I read some of the reviews and decided to read it now.

Fr. Groeschel is so down to earth, in the beginning of the book he says, "Some readers may be saying to themselves this is too heavy for me now. Things are going fairly well and I hope they will continue to go well" He then says to put it aside for when you may need it.

The first chapter alone did more for my spirit than I would have thought possible. You see the last 8 years or so have not gone so well. Details to follow in my forthcoming memoirs.:)

Yet one thing I have learned is that we all suffer, but we try very hard not to. This is Fr. Groeschel's point. Our society has set up a fantasy of a perfect life, but that is not how it works. He gives good sound biblical teaching on how to get through and understand the challenges life has for us.
Jesus did not come here to sun himself on the beach, he came here to die on a cross, and take on our sins.

I'm not saying all is darkness and sorrow, because God continually blesses even in the midst of despair. This book is for those times.

As Fr.Groeschel says, "if you are moved to challenge the darkness, to arise, to follow the light, to find the way, to move on with the precious time of life, then this book is written for you.

[Ramón S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book!!!!
This book made me cry, made me laugh, made me think about life and Christ,....
During the reading so many times I said "May God bless your soul Father Benedict" and other times: Father Benedict please, pray for me".
It's a book highly recommended

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and gained a better perspective on suffering. I feel that reading this book in the midst of going through a terrible time would be beneficial to the reader, however, I also feel there’s some merit in reading it when life seems to be running smoother. Reading the book ahead of the rough times, we are all going to have, will better prepare us to know, 1 Trust in God to get us through it, 2 Know that although God permits the suffering he didn’t cause it and he will have some good come from it, and 3 Realize we’re not alone in our pain.

I was hoping there would be more information about the redemptive good that can come from suffering and how we can make use of our pain for ourselves and others. St. Faustina was a model for offering up her suffering for other people, often for people she didn’t even know. She asked Jesus to use her suffering for people he knew could use it for their salvation. She was then often blessed by seeing later how it benefited a particular soul.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one I read years ago and decided to read again since things have been pretty dark around my place. Benedict Groeschel has a lot of good ideas, but it seems to me he often gets on a tangent that doesn't really have anything to do with his topic. Its still interesting stuff and there are some helpful suggestions on what one should do when life is nothing but suffering.

[Lara Lavoie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fr Groeschel brings wisdom as well as humor to the most difficult questions of life. This is a book to read over again as different events in life present themselves.

[John Doyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once, during a particularly dark period of my life, I wrote an email to the late Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, and he showed me the kindness of answering my query. Unfortunately, at that time I lived on the West Coast of the United States, and he served in ministry in the New York area, so I never had the pleasure of meeting him personally. That said, I was very pleased to come upon this book of his now many years later. “Arise from Darkness: What to Do When Life Doesn't Make Sense” is a truly heartfelt book, an anchor thrown out to souls who suffer (and who doesn't?). While the book is refreshingly honest and insightful about the causes of suffering and pain in human lives, the reader will find the late psychologist and priest’s words and advise hopeful and compassionate. Well worth reading!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Am doing a study on how to cope with human suffering and this book was recommended by several websites. It does have some ideas to ponder that might make the suffering feel better, but helping another person is the one thing that, without fail, will make those who suffer feel better. Think of it...by helping others, they help us. It's all part of God's perfect plan.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who is troubled with life should read this wonderful book by Groeschel. He provides a myriad of examples of individual experiences, and offers good advice. Definitely a book worth re-reading.

[Jason Addington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone going through a deeply difficult time in life should read this book.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great companion when you're experiencing dark times....a very easy read too, which is helpful when you're in the midst of a season where even small tasks require great effort. You can even skip around and just read the chapter(s) that pertain to you. I love Fr. Groeschel's writing...you can feel that he is accompanying you through the darkness rather than speaking to you from outside it.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very moving. I loved every page.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Profound and compassionate, a beautiful book to be cherished and kept always within reach.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful, thought-provoking book, sure to give readers something to think about long after reading it.

[Florence Bernice · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much sass from one Father Benedict Groeschel, considering the book was about suffering.
He tried to have a comprehensive how-to by covering various sources of the darkness such as the death of a loved one, failure of the Church and the good old when-everything-falls-apart. I appreciate how he punctuated some topics with funny anecdotes. Reading it was time well spent, however only four stars because it was kind of forgettable for me.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good book!! Unfortunately we all go thru rough stuff and when you reach the rough stuff, you will want this book on your bedside table!! It has the same soothing effect of a dear friend who you can confide in!!

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read if life is not going well or if you are totally devastated by events in your life. In our time this book will be a good resource for the believer to help re-orient themselves after some suffering the visited upon them or someone close to them.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of lifes questions are answered in this book. It is especially helpful when dealing with loss.

[Rosy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book, and I couldn't have read it at a better time. Awesome, awesome, awesome!

[Alfred Tostado · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel Better.

This has inspired me to lead a more prayerful life and to offer all to Christ, especially suffering. Give suffering meaning when there is none.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful.

[Daniel Carey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tonight in the blessed silence of Eucharistic Adoration, I finished a great work by Franciscan Friar and reverend servant of Christ, Benedict Groeschel. This great man of faith and founder of St. Francis House of charity, whose works of service in New York City spanned over 50 years, published a book in the mid 1990's that deals with the mature Catholic response of prayer and trust in God in the wake of personal grief and sorrow which all of us experience.

Groeschel's mixture of compassion and his tough attitude shine through this book. His many stories of personal grief and loss which he experienced first hand is quite inspirational and helps people make some sense of their earthly suffering while striving constantly for spiritual strength.

While I did find the narrative to be somewhat hokey at times, the genuineness of Groeschel's conviction and words of wisdom cannot be disputed. My wife recommended this book during our weekly hour of Adoration and the reading experience was quite beautiful.

May our Lord's perpetual light shine upon you Father Benedict and may your soul find repose. Amen.

[Dan Charnas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the late Father Groeschel very much. I watch his "Sunday Best" television program on EWTN and enjoy his down-to-earth conversational approach and the advice that he gave to his viewers. He had a wonderful sense of humor and irony, but he was a no-nonsense, no-sugar-coating-it priest. Maybe I feel a connection to him because he lived and worked where I lived in New York, and his New Yorker accent reminds me of several friends and family members.

There was a book by Maimonides called "The Guide for the Perplexed". That title, in my opinion, could have been used for this book. Fr. Groeschel takes the reader through chapters about the dark aspects of our lives and offers his wisdom about coping. Of course, his wisdom comes from a lifetime of being a religious, but he was also a psychologist. His experience and expertise in this discipline brings an added acumen to the difficult subjects that he addressed here.

Whether or not you are going through hard times, this book might help you to stay strong and to reaffirm your faith and trust in God.

[Taskgal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fr. Groeschel is one of my favorite Catholic leaders/counselors, etc. The label is not that important to me. I am being transparent in that I had an opinion of him prior to reading this book, which is the first I read by him. It is what I needed right now. Fr. Groeschel inspires and uplifts without deep theology and also from a perspective the average person, not a cleric on high. There are times where you can sense a bit of a longing for the past, but not much as he was a man for the times and lived in the messiness of our times. However, he bases his commentary and teaching on Catholic teaching so don't think this he is taking a radical departure from the Church. I would recommend this book, especially amidst the coronavirus pandemic.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book came recommended by Fr. Dan Reehil as the Catholic book for the Jewish Rabbi Kushner’s When Bad Things Happen to Good People . Both solid in their own regards and both speak to some similarities in life .

As Christian books go , you get both the Old and New Testament woven into the text. And as Catholic books go, you see the Sacraments also woven into your life to help you overcome bad things that can happen in everyone’s life.

RIP to Fr Groeschel . The book was relatable and entertaining at the same time and nourishing to the soul .

[LeAnna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of this book were very good. Parts of this book seemed out of touch, probably becasue things have moved on so much from when it was written. And parts of this book seemed weaker than the intensity of grief, something which is no doubt natural in a book written for many different people & scenarios. Overall it is perhaps a starting point, something to pick up or give to someone who is struggling, but only the beginning of the road to healing.

[Faith Flaherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arise from Darkness by Father Benedict J. Groeschel, CFR, was a good book to read, during Lent. I always enjoy reading Father Groeschel; I find him humorous in his practical assessments of situations and descriptions. I read a chapter, a day. Each chapter will put problems into perspective: death, tragedy, hardships, etc. At the end of each chapter was a prayer addressing the topic of the chapter.

The end of the book were some interesting prayers to use as suggestions, for different life situations. All in all, it was a helpful book.

[Susannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Fr. Groeschel. In this book he takes you through his deep logic and faith about the time-old questions of what is the meaning of life and why is there pain in this world if there's a loving all-powerful God? Highly recommend this book to all people who are struggling.

[Dolores Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book by Father Benedict Groeschel, a Franciscan Friar.

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a consolation to read while I was healing from my miscarriage.