Many of us might ask this question, but not have the answers. One path is different from another and the choice to seek happiness in today’s world is quite a challenge considering, on the one hand, we have so many “toys and devices” we think make us happy and possibly satisfied with our lives.
Holiness, on the other hand, seems unattainable for most of us. We need God in our daily lives to seek it. Thought provoking questions arise about these two separate entities. Let us ponder them here.
What do we need to be happy? Unfortunately we will never have a constant and unchanging answer to this question. Or will we?
Think: When we are hungry, happiness is a lack of hunger; when we are imprisoned, happiness is freedom, and so forth. We can continue this analysis forever and we still will not have answered the question, what is it that brings happiness?
A person that has been in constant prayer with Mary The Mother of God during their foundational years might have discovered this question, and believe they have found the true answer. However, she herself expressly does not offer an answer. Our Lady brings all of us to the path and desires that we discover the answer ourselves. You see the end of this road is God himself. The experiences are often different, but all paths and roads seem to meet under the same theme: Holiness.
Thus, true happiness should lead to holiness. But how do we know if are holy? We don’t but we should never stop trying to be. We have the tools: the Sacraments, Liturgy, prayer, meditation and the Bible. Sometimes, we can tire and need rest. Other than that, we should not ever, not even for a moment take another path. Essentially we must live our lives for happiness and holiness as God’s courageous people.
Perhaps our answer lies in the Gospel of Matthew 7:7 that says, “seek and you shall find…”
