|
Before I Forget…
· Be happy at all times.
-1 Thessalonians
· No one has a right to consume happiness without producing it.
-Helen Keller
· The word happiness comes from the Greek, meaning "without pining". God pines for nothing because he is whole and complete in himself. God wants this for each of us. God made us in his image so that we would know true happiness. We do well to imitate our maker by loving the lover within. This is the first step to a life of happiness and service.
-John Catoir
· How happy the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
-Jesus
Happy New Year! Happy Birthday! Happy Anniversary! Happy 4th of July! Happy Hour! Are we really happy? Jesus said, "I have come that they (his followers) may have life, and may have it to the full" (John 10:10). In other words, the life of a disciple of Jesus is the good life. Jesus taught that happiness comes from knowing God and following God's way which is made known to us in Sacred Scripture and ongoing revelation. In our times the Christian life is often portrayed as boring, a drudgery, and a life without happiness. Comedians have a field day with Catholics. Sacred Scripture is viewed as "outdated" and our "moral code" prevents gullible Christians from enjoying all the pleasures of the "good life."
What is our moral code about? It's about justice, peace, integrity, commitment, truth, honesty, character, conviction, non-violence, virtue, good, decency, responsibility. Are these things outdated? What do we want for our teens and children?
Do we believe we are missing out because we value Jesus Christ, his gospel, his way of living? There are any number of new books that tell people it's impossible to know the truth about God and morality. If we can't know God and the moral standards of God, or if they even exist, why should modern people observe an ancient biblical moral code? This "modern" age encourages people to doubt the existence of God, doubt that Jesus was divine, doubt Sacred Scripture, doubt the institution of the Church, doubt … has it come down to this… we are simply doubters? G.K. Chesterton wrote that modern folks doubt everything and this really gets in their way when they want to denounce anything!
So what do we have in place of God, Jesus, morality? We have a billion dollar porn industry that degrades women, children and men. If there isn't enough crime and violence in our cities, Hollywood will make plenty of movies about those issues. They even give some violent movies academy awards! Marriage can be defined in any way, but certainly not the "old" way. Complete strangers can talk with kids in the "chat room." Greed cheats honest workers of their retirement. Domestic abuse. Child abuse. The "good life" seems to be "just do it if feels good, and if you can get away with it." And as people live this "good life," the poor are forgotten and get even poorer. Although Scripture is clear about being there for the poor because they belong to God, if one doesn't believe in God and Scripture, what will eventually happen to the "least" among us? Dostoevski wrote that if there is no God, "everything is lawful." We are discovering how broad "everything" is. Anything goes. Forget common sense, too!
University of Virginia sociologist James Hunter, in his recent book The Death of Character, explains our modern dilemma. "We say we want a renewal of character in our day but we don't really know what we ask for. To have a renewal of character is to have renewal of a creedal order that constrains, limits, binds, obligates and compels. The price is too high for us to pay. We want character but without unyielding convictions; we want strong morality but without the emotional burden of guilt or shame; we want virtue but without particular moral justifications that invariably offend; we want good without having to name evil; we want decency without the authority to insist upon it; we want moral community without any limitations to personal freedom. In short, we want what we cannot possibly have on the terms we want it."
Aldous Huxley foresaw our times when he said that "a man's worst difficulties begin when he is able to do as he likes." What is the good news, the good life? As St. Augustine put it so clearly as he spoke to God: "You have made us your self, and we find no rest until we rest in you."
Wishing you a summer of rest…. the best rest.
Fr. Bill
|
|
