The Pursuit of Happiness?
By: Eric Gajewski
'Therefore
God says to this proud man: If thou seekest, according to the nature of the
created soul, for such great things as seem at present to be good and for that
happiness which belongs to earth, know that they are not, they cannot satisfy
nor afford contentment seek rather in heaven, where pride is lawful, and where
it is not placed in things empty and vain, but in those which are really great,
which always remain and which cause a sinless pride; but if thou seekest after
worthless things thou shalt never find them and shalt lost those which thou
shouldst have sought.' St.
Catherine of Genoa
In Masonic America we are told to
pursue our own happiness. We are told to
go out and live the American dream. This
is in no way is the gospel of Christ. Were
we put on this earth to make ourselves happy or to make Him happy from whence in
return He shall make us happy? At least we
are told in America that “we can pursue happiness”. This would allow for us to pursue the true
God and Faith and yet it still keeps the doors open to "self". Do you make yourself happy by sending
yourself a gift on your birthday or do you not derive happiness by giving something
to your Lover? It is no different in the
spiritual life and since it is the only true life, the life of the one to come,
the one which is already within, we might as well begin to live this way
now. It is true by pleasing yourself
here in this life you will live with a smile but the end result is our soul
being condemned to everlasting Fire. You
cannot find happiness in this world but only in God who is within and will be revealed in the end.
There are so
many who go to and from thinking they are free and happy simply because they
have no stress or adversity and this is because they do not truly know themselves. If they would go within just periodically
during the day and see themselves as they truly are before God they would
become frightened. This is why so many
stay on the surface with a smile going from one distraction to the next
pursuing self’s happiness because they equate a stress-free life with holiness or "I'm okay with God". As long as I know God suffered for me this is
sufficient they say. They only fool
themselves. St Teresa sums this
well. Happiness does not stem from
keeping “the self” happy. 'Dream that
the more you struggle, the more you prove the love that you bear your God, and
the more you will rejoice one day with your Beloved, in a happiness and rapture
that can never end.' St. Teresa of Jesus
Trials, Test
and tribulations. Happiness to be found
on the Cross? It was Christ Who was on
the Cross Who is Love, therefore, true liberty and happiness is to be found
there. Happiness is not even good health for that matter. Health comes and goes
like the seasons of the year. Modern man
invents new ways to keep “the ego and self” supported all the while keeping
himself from the Cross. The closer we
get to the Heart of Christ the more we realize just how important reparation
is. The more we see within the inner eye
this Man of Sorrows. I will never
understand it on the human nature level.
Yet we should not dig too deep as to understanding why God would want us
suffer. We should just love and keep
peace. Love suffers. The more we suffer the closer we
get to Christ and the more we have Christ the happier we are. Christ associates Himself with those who
suffer not those who get their own way and keep themselves distracted on the
surface with worldly desires and pleasures.
'Happy the heart that keeps itself on the cross, in the arms of the
Well-Beloved, and that burns only with divine love!' St. Paul of the Cross Happiness is not to be found in the
ability to travel the world but it remains in Christ’s simplicity. I have my room, some books and a nearby
chapel. That is complete happiness.' St. Miguel of Ecuador
Happiness is
to do the Will of God not our own. If we
lived in a Catholic country it would be stated as such. Hell is for those who were “happy” yet
pursued their own will. The damned are
not very happy now in the Abyss so don’t be deceived by those who seem to live
care free and who have no desire to ever do violence to the self. The Saint of the Sacred
Heart speaks. 'It seems to me that the
happiness of a soul consists entirely in conforming to the most adorable Will
of God; for in so doing the heart finds peace and the spirit joy and repose,
since he "who is joined to the Lord in one spirit" with Him. (1 Cor.
6:17).' St. Margaret Mary Alacoque God
makes us happy not the world. The
clothes a man buys does not make him happy yet if we are clothed in Christ we
are happy down to our very core in the soul.
The man who finds happiness in any other thing outside God only deceives
himself. I am convinced I am not put
here to be happy (as the world would say) but only am kept alive to keep Him happy. The Bridegroom will continue to look for
Victims of His Heart to carry out His Plan.
To be a victim of God is to be a victim of happiness even on a bed of
suffering. 'Now although man is created
for the possession of happiness, yet, having deviated from his true end, his
nature has become deformed and is entirely repugnant to true beatitude. And on
this account we are forced to submit to God this depraved nature of ours which
fills our understanding with so many occupations, and causes us to deviate from
the true path, in order that he may entirely consume it until nothing remains
there but himself; otherwise the soul could never attain stability nor repose,
for she was created for no other end.' St.
Catherine of Genoa
Enjoyment
over the Cross. In the book “Way of
Divine Love” Our Lord tells Sister Menendez to suffer for those consecrated
souls who once enjoyed His Heart but who now fled for the world and its
enjoyments. Clearly another indication
of how important it is to keep guard over the movements of our own heart. More so, it shows how you cannot enjoy this
life and the next. Our Lord stated in
this book that His way was the Cross and suffering. It was not enjoyment. This may be difficult to absorb at first for
the self will protest but it is a spiritual reality. Christ ends by saying that only Love can give
them to strength to follow in His footsteps.
We must turn from self and keep focus on His Sacred Heart for there is
much violence which must be done to our own disorderly affections and unruly
passions if we are ever to find true and everlasting peace within. There are many probably saying why does God
keep me alive if all I do is suffer? The
answer is quite clear He keeps you alive that you might please and comfort Him…..yes
most especially in your suffering. You do not realize the good you are doing for God, neighbor and your own soul. There
is no free admission to heaven for the price of the ticket was bought by Christ
but we can only enter via the same Cross that He left behind. May God give us all the strength to follow in
His path for there is no other way.
Royal Road of the Cross: On the Advantages of Tribulations