HAPPINESS TRUMPS EVERYTHING!

“Are you married or are you happy?” was a line I heard watching The Three Stooges some years ago. Certainly a laugh line in the short movie, it’s also a sad commentary since there is some truth in humor. The misunderstood or the jaded may think that married life and happiness are mutually exclusive. Many, happily married couples, disagree.

Jewish scholar and popular radio host Dennis Praeger says that “Happiness is serious business“. He also calls it a moral virtue.

Praeger is right but I would add simply that Happiness trumps everything else.

Does that ring a bit narcissistic? If misunderstood it’s perhaps true for many who equate the seeking of instant gratification with happiness are only “happy” in fits and starts. Not a true and lasting happiness in my book. Much commercial advertising equate the purchase and use of a particular product with “happiness”…Well I am certainly happy for you to buy and use my product…

• One posted on a door to an eating establishment suggested a particular beverage is “happiness to go”

• A well-known retail establishment, in current radio advertisements locates themselves, “on the corner of happy and healthy”.

Shallow?

To be happy requires decisions; short term, long term and those that have perpetual consequence. and its a good reminder that happiness is not to be equated with pleasure or even pain avoidance (that would be more closely akin to the heresy of Hedonism.)

Some very consequential decisions went into the writing of the United States of America Declaration of Independence which stated “…that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Writer Thomas Jefferson did not say that people were guaranteed happiness but suggested that justice should always provide one the opportunity to pursue happiness.

The Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen enumerated three laws of pleasure as they can relate to happiness. He said,

“We all want happiness. We should all take the sensible steps of learning that there are three laws of pleasure which, if followed, will make the attainment of happiness immeasurably easier.

• The First Law: If you are ever to have a good time, you cannot plan your life to include nothing but good times.

• The second Law: Pleasure is deepened and enhanced when it has survived a moment of tedium or pain.

• The third law: Pleasure is a by-product, not a goal.” Happiness must be our bridesmaid, not our bride.”

Now we’re really making some progress.

A decision leading to happiness is indeed a thing, in other words, something made. In his Summa Theologica, St. Thomas Aquinas asks “What is happiness?” Several of his sub-questions (“articles”) covering several pages address the question. He writes,

“…man’s happiness is something made, because according to Augustine, ‘Those things are to be enjoyed, which make us happy.'”

“…man’s last end is the uncreated good, namely God, Who alone, of His infinite goodness can perfectly satisfy man’s will.”

“…the last end is called happiness.”

“For in God there is happiness…”

Most people who have gotten beyond the teen-aged years remember that first “really deep” question that seemed to have stumped everybody. The question was, “What’s the meaning of life“? To which someone would inevitably answer with something along the lines of, “Wow, that’s really deep, man.” , “

The meaning of life (a distilation of St. Thomas Aquinas’ explanation) is simple…

… explained in the YOUCAT (The Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church) in its answer to question

#1 (“For what purpose are we here on earth?”) says the following about happiness, “We are here on earth in order to know and to love God, to do his will, and to go some day to heaven.” “…We come from God, in whom all the happiness of heaven and earth is at home, and we are expected in his everlasting, infinite blessedness.”

“Happy the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.” Psalm 33:12 (paraphrase)

“…happy is he who is kind to the poor.” Proverbs 14:21 Yes, giving usually does cultivate happiness.

In the Beatitudes of Matthew chapter 5, consider synonymous the words “blessed” and “happy” and see how that changes your day,

So what is your purpose? What is your fulfillment? Where is your happiness? Does happiness trump everything for you?

I’d like to know how your decisions affect your ability to be happy with God. Please write and let me know your experiences.