Take Courage: Loving Deeply and Finding Meaning in the Midst of Suffering
- Bobby Jakucs, Psy.D.
- Jun 18
- 6 min read
Updated: Jul 1
An Invtation to Meaning, Courage and the Cross
There’s a moment in Man’s Search for Meaning—one of those moments that marks the soul—when Viktor Frankl, imprisoned in Auschwitz, trudged through the cold before dawn on a bitter day of forced labor. Sick, starved, and surrounded by despair, he wrote that he suddenly saw, with piercing clarity, the face of his wife. In that moment, he realized something astonishing: “Love is the ultimate and highest goal to which man can aspire.”
He imagined himself giving a lecture after the war on the psychology of the concentration camp. The idea seemed absurd, even laughable, in the misery of that moment. But this inner vision, this stubborn ember of hope and meaning, sustained him.
Frankl would later write:“A man who becomes conscious of the responsibility he bears toward a human being who affectionately waits for him, or to an unfinished work, will never be able to throw away his life.”
That’s what this blog is about. Love. Responsibility. Meaning. Even when—especially when—life is painful, complicated, and hard.
To Love at All Is to Be Vulnerable
“To love at all is to be vulnerable,” said C.S. Lewis. And he was right. Love makes us ache. Love makes us brave. Love can bring us to our knees—and somehow, raise us up again.
We live in a world of paradoxes: overflowing with information, yet often starved of wisdom; connected more than ever, yet lonelier than we dare admit; trying to do it all, but unsure what really matters. And in the middle of this chaos, we still love. We still try to love.
Sometimes that love looks radiant. Sometimes it looks like staying when it would be easier to run. Sometimes it looks like getting up again after a sleepless night with a crying newborn. Or forgiving someone for the hundredth time. Or simply choosing not to give up.
This blog is for those moments. It’s a space for real people trying to love in a difficult world.
Why This Blog? Why Now?
I’m a husband. A father. A combat veteran. A psychologist. A Catholic. And like many of you, I’m a pilgrim in search of meaning—sometimes limping more than walking.
This blog is born out of my professional work and personal life colliding in the best possible way. I've spent my career helping veterans recover from trauma, and I’ve spent my life learning—often the hard way—what it means to live with purpose when the road isn’t easy. I’ve held hands with the grieving, the angry, the addicted, and the exhausted. And I’ve watched healing happen when people reconnect to what matters most.
Even devout people often feel lost. We want to live meaningful lives, but we get stuck in the noise, the fear, the constant pressure to be enough. There’s a hunger in the modern soul—not for more success, but for more substance.
That’s why this blog exists: to carve out a space for love, courage, meaning, and faith.
In the Spirit of St. Thomas Aquinas
St. Thomas Aquinas once wrote, “The things that we love tell us what we are.” He was a towering intellect—a master of theology, philosophy, and reason—who never forgot that truth must serve love, and love must serve God. Mind you, he did all of this without the luxury of coffee.
This blog, in some small and stumbling way, follows his spirit. I’m not a genius like Aquinas. But I, too, believe that truth, goodness, and beauty belong together. That faith and reason are not enemies. That science, psychology, and philosophy can—and should—bow before the sacred. And thankfully, unlike St. Thomas, I do have the luxury of coffee.
So what you’ll find here is a blend: Catholic teaching, modern psychology, and ancient wisdom all braided together in search of the good life. Not the easy life. The meaningful one.
The Framework That Guides Us
We all need a framework to understand life. A philosophy of living that helps us to understand and make sense of things. In this blog here is what you will find:
✦ Catholic Tradition
At the heart of our faith is a love that bleeds. Christ didn’t just teach us how to love—He became love for us, stretched out on a Cross. That is not a metaphor. It is the blueprint. You’ll find here reflections on the saints—those who suffered well, who loved when it cost them everything. You’ll find meditations on vocation, human dignity, and the mystery of suffering.
✦ Psychological Insight
We draw deeply from:
Logotherapy, Frankl’s bold call to find meaning even in suffering.
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), which teaches us how to live fully, even in the presence of pain, and to orient ourselves around values—not fleeting feelings.
Integrative approaches that see the person not as a collection of symptoms, but as a soul longing for purpose.
✦ Classical and Ancient Wisdom
The Stoics taught us resilience. Aristotle taught us virtue. Plato pointed us toward the transcendent. These thinkers—along with Christian philosophers like Pascal and Chesterton—remind us that to live well is to live with intention.
We take these voices seriously because they help us ask better questions:
What kind of person am I becoming?
What is the good life?
How should I live, love, and suffer?
What You'll Find Here
This blog isn’t a series of ivory tower reflections. It’s for people trying to live well when life is not easy.
Expect:
An integration of the three domains of our framework listed above (some posts may lean heavy in one direction or the other depending on the subject)
Concrete tools: values clarifications, mindset shifts, spiritual reflections.
Honest reflections on faith, family, work, suffering, and hope.
Posts that make space for both tears and laughter.
A tone that is warm, not fluffy; clear, not preachy.
This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being present. It’s about limping toward love, knowing the Cross casts a long shadow—but also that Resurrection is real.
An Invitation to Courageous Love
You don’t need to have it all together to love well. In fact, you can’t.
Courageous love isn’t loud or dramatic. Most of the time, it’s quiet. Ordinary. Costly. And holy.
It’s doing the dishes after a long day. It’s staying in the room during a hard conversation. It’s holding a newborn at 3AM when you feel like you have nothing left. It’s forgiving someone who doesn’t deserve it. It’s praying when God feels silent.
And sometimes—maybe most of the time—it’s just showing up.
In The Road, Cormac McCarthy writes of a father who protects his son through a bleak, post-apocalyptic world. “I was appointed by God to do that,” the father says. That’s parenting. That’s vocation. That’s love. A sacred mission, appointed by God, even - and perhaps most espeicallly - when we find ourselves walking through the ruins.
When Christ tells His disciples, "Take courage, for I have overcome the world" (John 16:33)), He is not offering platitudes. He is inviting us into a way of life. One marked by trust, perseverance and love that endures.
That's why this space is called Take Courage. It's a call from Christ Himself, not to avoid hardship, but to walk through it with faith. To take heart. To stand firm. To love when it hurts.
Courage is not the absence of fear. It is a choice. It is choosing what is right and meaningful in the presence of fear. It is not denial of weakness - but the decision to show up anyway, trusting that Grace is enough.
Parting Thoughts
May this space remind you that even in the ache, love is still possible. That even in the mess, meaning can still be found. That the quiet act of loving—when no one sees and when it hurts—may be the most sacred thing you ever do.
Selected Quotes for Reflection
“To love at all is to be vulnerable.” – C.S. Lewis
“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.” – Viktor Frankl
“Love consists not in feeling great things but in having great detachment and in suffering for the Beloved.” – St. John of the Cross
“The things that we love tell us what we are.” – St. Thomas Aquinas
“Waste no time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.” – Marcus Aurelius
“For I know the plans I have for you… to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11
Disclaimer:
This post is for information and inspirational purposes only and does not constitue medical or psychological advice. Please consult a licensed professional for personal support. Portions of this blog may be generated or refined with the assistance of AI tools. All material has been shaped, edited and finalized by the author to ensure fidelity to Catholic teaching, sound psycholgial practice and lived human expeirence
