Happiness
consists in enjoying the true, the good, and the beautiful under the
most favorable circumstances. As the truth, the good- ness, and the
beauty of virtue are most excellent, virtue becomes both the object and
the measure of man's happiness. In this life three factors contribute to
human happiness: (1) the subordination of man's lower nature to reason
enlightened by faith; (2) the possession of physical health and of the
ordinary comforts of life; (3) the favorable surroundings of
friendship), especially of the friendship of God.
The
circumstances of earth and time are not the most favorable for human
happiness. God has, therefore, implanted in the human heart a longing
for an endless possession of an infinite good which is the infinite
treasure of heaven. Earth and time are given us to acquire a capacity
for this enjoyment. In heaven the degree of our happiness will be
proportionate to the degree of moral growth or the Christian perfection
we attain in this life.
The
secret, then, of true happiness is (1) to rise above our natural
selves, (2) to be indifferent to all earthly and temporal things, (3)
and to learn to love God with all our mind and heart and strength,
because He is the eternal Truth, the infinite Good, the uncreated
Beauty.
No comments:
Post a Comment