Are you happy? Really happy? We desperately want to be and
are constantly looking for things to make us happy!
We have a kind of endless thirst, a bottomless pit in our
souls for happiness! We try to throw everything we have at it, but nothing seems
to quench it. Pleasure, money, success, even human friendships. It seems like
we always want more to be happy. But it isn’t that direction at all.
“How hard it is for those who have riches to make their way
into the kingdom of God!” might sound familiar, and in fact today we celebrate
the feast of Christ, the King. What does this have to do with happiness, we
might ask? In reality quite a lot – God’s kingdom = heaven = perfect happiness.
One young man went right up to Jesus and asked, “What must I
do to possess eternal life?” in other words to enter the kingdom of God. He
isn’t happy even though he’s been obeying the commandments since he was a kid.
Sounds a little bit like St. Francis of Assisi – belonged to a rich family, he
was Catholic, had everything he could want.
But neither of them was happy. Francis tried his hand at
worldly success fighting battles as a knight, but his heart wasn’t in it. Then he set out on the God’s mission to help others. But disowned by his
father and stripped of his wealth and reputation, how could he be happy? But he was!
The rich young man in the Gospel, however, “went away sad,
for he was a man of great wealth.” He couldn’t let go of the money, pleasure,
and earthly success which he thought would make him happy. Looking for happiness
in the wrong place, he was in fact guaranteeing that he would never be happy.
So can we in fact really be happy? Yes, but not like we
imagine celebrities or millionaires (at least I haven’t seen it). They aren’t even
really happy!
For what is our life all about? What are we all about as men
and women? Is it really all the stuff on television, in the street, the material
pleasures all around us – the latest gadget, a life of sexual freedom, the
experience of alcohol, or even simply the success that comes with money,
influence, and power.
Yet happiness and success come from recognizing who we are
and what we are called to – or even better who is calling us! Yet we might say,
following Christ means giving so much up and losing out on half of life.
Peter asked that same question, “Look, we left all we had to
follow you.” What’s in it for us?
Christ doesn’t tell him, well it’s tough and he’s going to
be suffering a lot. He says, “There’s no one who [follows Christ that] will not
receive many times as much in this present age and, in the world to come,
eternal life.” In other words if we follow him, perfect happiness now and
forever. Isn’t that what we want?
Pope
Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II put it another way:
If we let Christ
enter fully into our lives, if we open ourselves totally to him, are we not
afraid that He might take something away from us? Are we not perhaps afraid to
give up something significant, something unique, something that makes life so
beautiful? Do we not then risk ending up diminished and deprived of our
freedom?
No! If we let Christ
into our lives, we lose nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing of what makes life
free, beautiful and great. No! Only in this friendship are the doors of life
opened wide. Only in this friendship is the great potential of human existence
truly revealed. Only in this friendship do we experience beauty and liberation.
Following
Christ is what will truly make us happy!
We all have a vocation. One thing I have learned very
clearly in the Legion and Regnum Christi is that God calls each one of us – not
just me - to follow in his footsteps by the way of love, and this includes a
call to holiness and necessary commitment to do something for him and others.
In
some mysterious way, Jesus, God calls us in our hearts to follow him, to be
happy because contrary to what it may seem, this is the only way to true
happiness.
Mark:
ReplyDeleteThere is a quote which states something of the nature that 'man sees in the world, what he contains in his own heart.' So I would like to disagree with you on one point. I think there are celebrities that are happy. I've met, as I'm sure you have a lot of people, and to be honest I've found Christians who are 'happy' and Christians who are not happy. I've found rich who are happy and some poor who were sad, and vice versa. So I don't know too many celebrities myself, but I don't think they're all unhappy, and I don't think you need Christ to be 'happy.' I think rather it's a question of the degree of happiness, joy and peace which Christ offers which may exceed other states of happiness, but even there I'm not sure that's ultimately what Christ offers. I think he offers a life of maturity and meaning - eternal meaning and at the end of the day, that might be a happy one, or a sad one - but one abundant in purpose. And that's something worth living for - because even a life in Christ Jesus I don't think promises happiness, at least here on earth.
Just two cents from a poor pilgrim, God bless you.
Pete
JMJ
I really enjoyed this Mark. I think Christ does offer the truest sort of happiness and purest sort of joy. I believe that true joy, the sort of joy that transcends experiences both good and bad, is from the Lord. We should have hearts that are full of joy even when everything in life falls apart...even when we experience the worst. I don't mean we are never unhappy or disappointed but I believe joy transcends. That a person can be undergoing the worst thing and still have a deep joy in their heart even while they experience deep loss or pain. Joy doesn't depend on circumstances. How easy to be happy when everything is going great after all. :) I am not always happy personally but I do strive for a deeper joy...I believe it can only be found in Christ because that is our hearts yearning.
ReplyDeleteGreat and obviously, thought provoking post!:)
God bless my friend!
Pete,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment, and I agree with you. Celebrities can definitely be happy, and hopefully they are. I more wanted to make the point that what we often consider happiness and success are not.
As for being happy without God, or specifically Christ, I would have to agree and disagree. I know a lot of non-Christians that are happy. But I would dare to say that they participate in the same happiness Christ came to bring to the full because there is only one truth.
I think that God does also promise us true happiness here on earth although it might not be exactly what we are expecting like Christ says that we will also receive more than we can imagine.
Thanks again for the mutually enriching discussion. Count on my prayers.
Colleen,
ReplyDeleteI agree completely. The understanding of what joy and happiness truly are is something that Christ teaches us. His cross and resurrection go beyond simple human understanding. Thanks again, and God bless.
I think there's a difference between happiness and joy. And what you shared here is something more profound.I prefer the word 'joy'.
ReplyDeleteI have always looked up to St. Francis and his way of life, for which he has been called 'alter Christus'.
I also think the subject on happiness is both objective and subjective although what we hold deep in our hearts will always find its way to show in our faces :)
I remember while we were having missions in Africa, Muslims would ask why we always have smiles painted on our faces despite the stresses we face in the hospital ward, and I think that's a big encouragement. Proselytism is a no no but when others 'see' the source of this spring, it spreads like wildfire and gives a tremendous effect in others.
The same thing is with our vocation :) When people 'see' and 'feel' your happiness in following Christ, then people will be challenged to ask why and who gives you such. We all seek happiness.
And it is Christ Who makes us truly happy :)...following Him is the result of this.