Finding happiness 2: The search

“It is Jesus in fact that you seek when you dream of happiness; He is waiting for you when nothing else you find satisfies you; He is the beauty to which you are so attracted; it is He who provokes you with that thirst for fullness that will not let you settle for compromise; it is He who urges you to shed the masks of a false life; it is He who reads in your hearts your most genuine choices, the choices that others try to stifle. It is Jesus who stirs in you the desire to do something great with your lives, the will to follow an ideal, the refusal to allow yourselves to be grounded down by mediocrity, the courage to commit yourselves humbly and patiently to improving yourselves and society, making the world more human and more fraternal.” (St. John Paul II).”
 

Living in 21st century America is a paradoxical experience. A person can be alone and never be lonely. Another person can have a life full of people yet be extremely lonely. Rather than existing in isolation, loneliness usually is lived out in a crowd. Videos, chat boxes and Zoom have replaced real relationships creating a false sense of socializing. From that,  social media has morphed into a battleground fueled by fear and hostility. Missing is real fellowship and communion with others. This unfulfilled need for one another that is deeply rooted in our nature is what leads to the sense of isolation. 

Admittedly, much of this societal brokenness has crept into our Catholic Church as some of its members attack one another publicly while others commit heinous crimes in private. Yet beyond this remains the Church established by Jesus Christ, within which He is viably present, and through which runs His Spirit. In Him we find Truth: our identity, our humanity, our worthiness. We experience real communion. 

The human person has not changed. Embedded within our nature is desire for God, for love, and to experience that love in one another. Society has lost its memory of what it is to be human because we ourselves have lost that understanding.

God has provided you with your Catholic faith precisely because He knew you would need it at this moment in time. Take a deeper look into this gift and uncover its meaning for your life. You will find your identity in God, the richness of being one of His ‘people’, and His desire to be part of your life now. By letting Him change you, you can change the world.

You must seek Truth Itself to find happiness and, when found, believe you are worthy of it. Because you are.

 This is belonging.

(Keep an eye out for our next post from Belonging: An Invitation to Happiness for Millennial Catholics)