Created for happiness

“We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Father’s love for us and our real capacity to become the image of His Son.” (St. John Paul II, World Youth Day 2002)

I admit to loathing rattlesnakes. Growing up in the Arizona desert, I would ask God, “Why do we need them when king snakes (not poisonous nor as aggressive) seem to serve the same purpose in nature?”. Similarly, I still experience a shiver around scorpions, black widow spiders, and other lethal arachnids. Large constricting snakes that could eat my child or doggy incite a fear reaction that God built into my nature specifically to protect them and me. 

And yet, all of creation reflects some aspect of beauty, of perfection, in God. Even the neighbor’s python that could eat my innocent little kitten. 

I marvel at knowing that even the ameba, one of the simplest of His creations, has all that it needs within its nature to exist and serve its purpose in the cosmos. Each creature, both animate and inanimate, best exemplify His beauty by living in accord with that given nature. This is how they serve Him, and it is His plan for harmony within the entire cosmos. 

He has also created you and me with all that we need to survive. In fact, our human nature is designed so that we thrive when we live in accord to His design for us. We suffer when we live in ways that do not conform to our God-given nature. And we do not suffer alone. Just as with the simplicist of His creation, every variance, every act against our own well-being has domino and ripple effects that disrupt the harmony of the entire cosmos. Servant of God Elisabeth Leseur understood this profoundly: 

“You are reaching the age when, with each successive year, you are able to do good. You are coming to that decisive time when you will make of your life one of two things: either, as many people do, something purposeless and vague, without any strong moral discipline, useless and consequently harmful (for neutrality is impossible where it is a question of doing the good); or something beautiful, harmonious, and purposeful, sowing good seed on the earth and preparing a rich harvest for eternity. Every person is an incalculable force, bearing within her a little of the future. Until the end of time our words and actions will bear fruit, either good or bad; nothing that we have once given of ourselves is lost, but our words and works, passed on from one to another, will continue to do good or harm to later generations. This is why life is something sacred, and we ought not to pass through it thoughtlessly but to understand its value and use it so that when we have finished our lives, we will have increased the amount of good in the world. “ (Elisabeth Leseur to her goddaughter in the letter, The Christian Life of Women)

Our nature, and that of every creature, has a two-fold character to it: a reflection of His beauty, and the purpose of serving Him. True happiness is only found by living both fully.  And we live our humanity to its fullest when surrendered to God’s love. Jesus demonstrated this for us, as His perfect humanity always beheld the face of His Father. Many people are familiar with the saying from St. Irenaeus, “The glory of God is a human being fully alive”, but they are unaware of the full statement…”and to be alive consists in beholding God.” This is what we were created for, the happiness that comes from living our humanity to its fullest by allowing Him to love us.

When I found your words, I devoured them;

your words were my joy, the happiness of my heart,

because I bear your name,

Lord, God of hosts. (Jeremiah 15:16)

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam 😊

(Image by Pop Tika from Shutterstock)