Life and Happiness

“For man cannot attain that true happiness for which he yearns with all the strength of his spirit, unless he keeps the laws which the Most High God has engraved in his very nature. These laws must be wisely and lovingly observed.”

— Pope Saint Paul VI in Humane Vitae

What is it that you want most out of life? I think it may be safe to say that most people, and perhaps you too, would like to be happy and secure and without worry in this life. In other words, we want to be able to life and enjoy life. Guess what? That’s what God wants for you too. In fact Jesus said that He had come to give us life and for us to have it to the full. But sometimes we settle for fleeting happiness and immediate gains.

Today we remember Pope St. Paul VI who preached and advocated for the preservation of the sanctity of human life. If we really want to enjoy and live life then we need to understand its sanctity. Our lives aren’t special because of how good of a name we have made for ourselves, but because it is a gift from God. Our lives are sacred because God’s very breath, His very Life and Love is within us; it is that which makes us living beings. When we think about that — that God’s very Spirit, His Life and His Love is inside of us, how can we but not be filled with gratitude and want to cherish it and really live life out to its very fullest?

We want true joy and happiness in this life, and Jesus came to give it to us. May we come to realize the sanctity and preciousness of our lives, the fact that God Himself is within us, and live each and every moment of our lives showing that truth.

Pope St. Paul VI, pray for us!