FIFTY-THIRD LESSON
That there is no true happiness
except in serving God.
"Peace be to you." (JOHN XX. 19, 21.)
Both Religion and experience teach, that, when you wander from God for the sake of enjoying the riches, or honors, or pleasures of this life, you wander, at the same time, from peace and happiness; you wander therefore from that very thing which you seek; you labor under a fatal delusion, deceiving your own selves.
The object which men have in view in their pursuits is happiness. Very often, indeed, they falsely imagine, that their happiness consists in the very things which can only make them rest-less and unhappy: still, what they seek after, in their various pursuits, is what they look upon as a good to them, as something which will render them content and satisfied, or make them happy.
Thus, it is in the possession and enjoyment of wealth, that some seek their happiness; others seek it in the gaining of worldly honors; and others, again, in the enjoyment of false pleasures.
Thus, you see, all have one and the same object in view—their own good, their own happiness. They seek it, indeed, in different ways, and in different things; but still, all of them have either true or false happiness in view.
But do they succeed in gaining the object of their pursuit? Are they content and satisfied, so as to want nothing more to make them happy? Was ever any one happy in the possession and enjoyment of earthly things?
In the Sacred Scriptures, we read of the greatness, the wisdom, and the wealth of Solomon, and how he endeavored to derive happiness from these advantages. He himself tells us, that he said in his heart: "I will go and abound with delights and enjoy good things. I made me great works; I built me houses, and planted vineyards; I made gardens, and orchards, and set them with trees of all kinds. I got me men-servants, and maid-servants; and herds of oxen, and great flocks of sheep, above all that were before me in Jerusalem. I heaped together for myself silver and gold, and the wealth of kings and provinces and I surpassed in riches all that were before me in Jerusalem my wisdom also remained with me. And whatsoever my eyes desired, I refused them not; and I withheld not my heart from enjoying every pleasure, and delighting itself in the things which I had prepared. And when I turned myself to all the works which my hands had wrought, and to the labors wherein I had labored in vain, I saw in all things vanity, and vexation of mind." (Eccles. ii.) Thus, he who had all the advantages, which this world can afford, to make a man contented and happy, found by experience that all his pursuit of happiness in earthly enjoyments was completely vain, and produced, not the happiness he sought, but "vexation of mind."
No, if, possessing everything in this world, you were to seek your happiness therein, you could not succeed in finding the object of your pursuit; but you would find misery instead of happiness. Your own experience would force you to exclaim, ''On the very tree which my own hands have planted for myself, there grows a thorn which pierces me to the heart, and behold I bleed!"
Now, why is this? It is because created things can never satisfy the desires of your soul; they can never supply your wants; and therefore they can never make you happy.
Where, then, are you to find that, which, as you have seen, nothing of this world can bestow? What is it that will satisfy your desires, and make you happy? What is it that will set your mind and heart at rest?
You may take it for a certain truth, that nothing whatever, unless it be boundless and endless, can ever content your mind; less than this will never satisfy the desires of your soul; because your desires are boundless, and your wants are endless. In order, therefore, to satisfy your wants; in order to set your mind and your heart at rest, you must seek and obtain an object that is also boundless; one that is unlimited and imperishable, as are the capacities of your immortal soul. And that object, as you well know, is the God that made you: it is only in seeking and obtaining Him—it is only in uniting yourselves with Him (here, in loving and serving Him, and hereafter in loving, possessing, and enjoying Him); it is only in this that you can find the peace and happiness you seek; it is only in this that your wants and all the desires of your heart can be satisfied.
God is infinitely and eternally happy; and He wishes you also to be happy. He wishes you to participate in His happiness; this is the end for which He created you; and you will obtain this end, if you seek your happiness in Him.
If, therefore, ascending above creatures; above all created goods, which, as you have seen, cannot content your heart nor make you happy; if, rising superior to all these created things, you seek your happiness in God and only in Him, you will find it: for you will be united with Him during the present life by His love, which will be perfected in heaven; where you will be still more closely and inseparably united with Him in eternal glory, so as to become in a manner one thing with Him.
And in this union with your God, you will share in His happiness, which is infinite. Your desire of possession will then be fully satisfied, because you will possess the kingdom of God, and even possess God Himself; which will leave nothing more to be desired, for you will share in the riches of Him who possesses all things. You will participate in His wisdom, in His power, His holiness, His glory, and in all His perfections: you will be happy with the happiness of God—completely and perfectly happy; because in possessing God, who is your last* end, you will in Him possess all things—the boundless capacities of your soul will be filled up, so that your mind and heart will be set at rest.
And you will not only possess all this happiness, and possess it to the fullest extent that your heart can desire; but you will possess and enjoy it forever!
All this infinite, this endless happiness, I say, will be yours, if, raising your views above earthly things—you will give your hearts really to God, to seek your happiness according to His will; and not according to your own will when opposed to His.
And in the meantime, while you remain in this world, you will enjoy such inward peace and happiness, such sweet consolations, as are wholly unknown to them who love and serve this world or their disorderly passions. The truth of this was experienced by St. Francis of Assisium, who found so much pleasure in saying: "My God and my all!" that it seemed to give him a foretaste of the joys of heaven!
Do we ever hear of the votaries of this world experiencing happiness like this in their earthly enjoyments?
On the contrary, what is more common in the world, than to hear people lamenting that they are restless and unhappy?
All that I have been saying of the happiness of serving God, is so manifestly exemplified in the Saints who have gone before us, that the very reading of their lives seems to cry out to us, in the words of the Psalmist: "O taste and see that the Lord is sweet!" (Ps. xxxiii. 9.) Yes, "the Lord is sweet " to them that love and serve Him. If, therefore, you will imitate the conduct of the Saints; if, like them, you will renounce earthly attachments; if you will prefer the love and service of God before all things, and labor diligently and fervently in the practice of virtue then you, like them, will taste and see that it is sweet to serve God: you will then enjoy, during life, a peace and happiness which cannot be found in creatures; and in the life to come your peace and happiness will be perfected in the enjoyment of eternal glory.
Disclaimer: Linking of a site does not imply endorsement of the views of the site, but merely offers it as a resource the webmaster beleives to be accurate. Because sites can be amended over time and non-Catholic items added, we ask all to do due diligence in checking things out
Ads are added to keep this site free. Donations are also accepted! If you find an objectionable ad, please contact us so we can block it in the future.
