Let us reflect for a minute on the practical meaning of pleasure and of happiness. Pleasure means enjoyment. It means the gratifying of some sense or faculty in which we take delight. Every one of our human faculties, whether of body or of soul, has its own particular craving. Our eyes are constantly longing to look and to see things that are beautiful, interesting, or agreeable. Our appetite for food is constantly craving the satisfaction of eating and drinking. The imagination craves amusements, stories, plays, movies, and pleasurable reading of every kind. Etc…. Such craving for pleasure is especially intense in our day, because there are so many things that stir it up, and so many means of gratifying this thirst for pleasure. Today’s methods of advertising over various media on the internet are continually urging people to satisfy their craving for pleasure and are developing new wants that are profitable to satisfy. The power of suggestion is immense, and you are constantly being tempted by suggestions to do things for the pleasure of doing them — things not wrong in themselves, perhaps, but which take just so much of your energy, your time, and your means. They are distractions from more important things in life. Pleasure in itself is a good thing, and a certain amount of lawful pleasure is necessary for us. We need a certain amount of exercise and a certain amount of amusement, just as we need a certain amount of sleep and of food. The need for pleasure is not so absolute as the need for food, but it is still very real, as we are however, constituted that we never get enough pleasure; pleasure always leaves us unsatisfied and begets a desire for more. Therefore, the temptation of our day is to pursue pleasure for its own sake, which means the tendency to neglect duty for the sake of pleasure. Those who seek pleasure for its own sake are somewhat like people who take drugs. At first, they experience some gratification, but after a while, they take the drug simply to satisfy a terrible craving. Pleasure is not a drug. It is a very useful thing in itself when employed as a means to an end. But when it is taken in excessive doses, for its own sake, it takes on some of the characteristics of a drug. Pleasure-seekers sacrifice more and more for the sake of pleasure, and, in the end, they find themselves broken down in character and sometimes broken down in health, and essentially unhappy, because they are essentially dissatisfied. The only thing that will keep them going is more pleasure, and pleasure itself has palled on them. Such is pleasure, but what is happiness? Happiness is an inward movement Happiness, as we understand it, is the inward contentment, the peace and satisfaction, the moral well-being that comes to a person of prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude, who does his work and discharges his duty to God and his fellowmen with patience, fidelity, uprightness, and kindness. Pleasure is merely the passing gratification of some faculty. One may get pleasure by eating and drinking, by going to a show, by reading an interesting book, or by engaging in sports, but happiness is a lasting state of inward contentment. Just as health of body requires a balance of the faculties — so that a person experiences a general sense of physical wellbeing — so happiness comes from health of soul and mind and heart. It results from a balance of moral qualities. A person cannot be happy if he has a bad conscience, lacks self-respect, or is aware that he is shirking his duty toward God and man. Hence, happiness of mind and soul, like health of body, must be secured by a balance of our faculties, by keeping in a state of spirit that will enable us to be happy. It is easy, then, to see the real conflict that exists between following pleasure for its own sake and seeking happiness. We are so constituted that, if a person deliberately seeks pleasure for its own sake, he is sure to neglect his duty, and this is true even of innocent pleasure. The time that he ought to give to work is stolen for pleasure. The effort and ambition that he ought to devote to doing his duty is spent in pleasure-seeking. If this is true even of innocent pleasures, it is tenfold true of pleasures that are wrong. To seek these in any degree is ruinous, because a man thereby loses his self-respect, neglects his duty, and goes directly against the requirements we have laid down for happiness. But even as regards innocent pleasures, you have to choose between using them moderately and with self-control and seeking happiness, or seeking them for their own sake and inevitably ceasing to be happy. This is a distinction of such tremendous importance that no one can calculate how many lives are ruined and how much is sacrificed by its neglect. You are quite free to choose one or the other, but choose you must. If you seek pleasure for its own sake, you cannot be happy. If you wish to be truly happy, then, you must moderate and control your thirst for pleasure. Therefore, as a guide to moderation and propriety for youth, may I recommend reading the following taken from THE YOUNG MAN’S GUIDE by Rev. F. L. Lasance, Chapter 42: Enjoy yourself with moderation and propriety. St. Philip Neri was a peculiarly cheerful saint; he was merry in the right sense of the word. He was never gloomy or fretful; he could not bear to see melancholy faces about him. He loved to be surrounded by young people, and delighted to see them indulging in harmless mirth. If, on the contrary, he perceived that any one was in a peevish, gloomy mood, he at once asked what was the matter with him. Occasionally he gave such a one a gentle tap on the cheek, and said: "Be cheerful!" I also say to you, my young friend, be cheerful! Who indeed ought to be merry, if not the young? Who would grudge their enjoyment of life to the lamb which gambols in the green meadow, and the young man who delights in the flowery fields of spring? Be of good cheer, be merry, enjoy yourself, but with moderation and in the right way. If in the preceding chapters I have so earnestly exhorted you to practise self-denial and renunciation, to bear and forbear, I am nevertheless very far from wishing to see you hang your head and look peevish and morose, as if you had something bitter in your mouth. No, nothing less than that! To appear as if you were a lamb being led to the slaughter is not only unnatural, but odious. I am sure that our Father in heaven prefers cheerful people, if only they are pious and well conducted. Sadness is the result of our fallen nature; therefore in no case does it come from heaven, or from God. "Rejoice in the Lord always," says the Apostle. The Royal Psalmist also encourages us to gladness. Faith and piety gladden the heart by inspiring trust in the goodness and mercy of God. "Thou, O Lord, art my protector and the lifter up of my head" (Ps. iii. 4). "Thou hast given gladness in my heart" (Ps. iv. 7). "Let all them be glad that hope in Thee; they shall rejoice forever, and Thou shalt dwell in them" (Ps. ix. 3). "I will be glad and rejoice in Thee, I will sing to Thy name, O Thou Most High" (Ps. ix. 3). "Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; Thou shalt fill me with joys with Thy countenance, at Thy right hand are delights even to the end" (Ps. xv. ii). "I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my refuge and my deliverer. My God is my helper and in Him will I put my trust" (Ps. xvii. 3). "Though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for Thou art with me. Thy rod and Thy staff they have comforted me" (Ps. xxii. 4). "Rejoice to God our Helper" (Ps. ixxx. 2). "He will overshadow Thee with His shoulders, and under His wings thou shalt trust" (Ps. xc. 4). But it is only the virtuous man who can be merry in the right way, cheerful in the true sense of the word. Real cheerfulness is the inseparable companion of true virtue. Happiness is found in goodness. No one has a right to be cheerful who knows that he is not in the grace of God. The slave of sin, the enemy of God, can indeed lead a merry life in the sense in which the world understands these words, but he must tremble, lament, and shudder, whenever he thinks seriously of hell, which yawns beneath his feet. If you are truly cheerful at heart, then is your soul at peace. Trials may indeed arise, but the clouds will never be so heavy as to prevent the bright and cheering rays of confidence in God to pierce through them and lessen their gloom. Interior cheerfulness will show itself in your exterior. Your eye will be bright, your countenance serene, your brow unruffled, your bearing firm, your step light. Cheerfulness is recommended in many passages of Holy Writ. For instance, the Wise Man speaks thus; "Rejoice, therefore, 0 young man in thy youth, and let thy heart be in that which is good in the days of thy youth; and know that for all these God will bring thee into judgment." And if David, the royal psalmist, so frequently reminds us in his sacred poems to praise the Lord with joy, how should not the young man do this in the bloom of his youth? All the faithful should heed the admonition of St. Paul to the Philippians: "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice." This saying applies, however, in a very particular manner, to young people. Let them strive to keep themselves in the grace and love of God and ever to be of good cheer—"to rejoice in the Lord." One day St. Aloysius found himself in the company with some young friends, and engaged in a game of chess. Some one suddenly asked what each member of the company would do if he knew he was to die within an hour. One said he should repair to the church and engage in prayer; another remarked that the best thing would be to go to confession. But St. Aloysius, whose conscience was completely at peace, quietly said: "I should continue the game, because I am playing in accordance with the will of God, and the wish of my superiors." That is what it means to be cheerful and merry in the right way, if one preserves at the same time so tranquil a state of conscience that even the unexpected appearance of death would not be able to cause too great alarm and apprehension. In this way judge the amusements, games, and merry-makings in which you like to indulge, the jokes, witticisms, conversations in which you take delight, the time and money which you sacrifice on your enjoyments. If your conscience does not reproach you, does not whisper to you that your favorite games and amusements are for you an occasion of sin, and the time and money you spend on them a piece of extravagance—then you are enjoying yourself in a proper manner. Continue to be cheerful and merry. If ought on earth shall give you pleasure
God doth that joy bestow: See that thou take it in due measure Or it may turn to woe. The human heart craves and seeks unceasingly for happiness. Many find but a small measure of happiness in this life because they lose sight of their eternal destiny—the object of their creation—which is to know God, to love Him, to serve Him, and to be happy with Him. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart and thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matt. xxii. 37, 39). The whole law depends on these two commandments; so Our Lord Himself assures us. The fullest measure of happiness even here on earth is attained by harmonizing one’s conduct with the commandments of God, by doing well one’s duties to God and man; for this means the possession of a peaceful conscience, a clean heart, a sinless soul; and this is essential to happiness; hence, St. Ignatius prays: "Give me, Lord, only Thy love and thy grace; with these I shall be rich enough; there is nothing more that I desire." To be in the state of grace—to have God’s love—that is essentially necessary to true happiness. "If God be for us, who is against us?" (Rom. viii. 31). The end of man’s creation is to glorify God. But in promoting God’s glory we are at the same time promoting our own happiness. Ergo, let our watch word be: "All for the greater glory of God!" J+M+J Sunday is always around the corner of every week and what do we do to really keep it holy as God commanded us? Keeping the Lord's Day holy means, above all, going to Mass in order to fulfill our "Sunday duty" by participating in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. In the commercial world many of us have to work on Sundays, on shifts at hotels or hospitals, or have our shops open at malls because that’s the time more consumers patronize the malls. Indeed we all need to work to earn a living but is it worth while to disobey God’s commandment? Many have forgotten that it is a mortal sin to break this commandment or have become presumptuous that their sins will be forgiven. Don’t forget that God is also just. Yes, some will say..”to survive in this world, this commercial world, we have to follow suit, otherwise how do we earn a living?” “There is inflation to always consider.”; “Oh I have no choice!” “It’s compulsory!” Etc.. May the following be helpful to remind us of the importance of keeping Sunday holy and not incur punishment from God. (Taken from Chapter 58 of The Young Man’s Guide by Fr.Lasance.) WORK and the SUNDAY Rest.
SUNDAY This day the glorious Trinity Creations’s work began; This day the world’s Creator rose, Overcoming death for man. So, while on this His Holy day, At this most sacred hour Our psalms amid the stillness rise, May he His blessings shower. Father of lights! keep us this day From sinful passions free; Grant us, in every word, and deed, And thought, to honour Thee. Assist us, Purity divine, Within our hearts to quell Those evil fires which, cherished here, Augment the flames of hell. Saviour, of Thy sweet clemency. Wash Thou our sins away; Grant us Thy peace - grant us with Thee Thine own eternal day. -Lyra Catholica (The current situation with Covid-19 and the lockdown situations, many are deprived of Mass so what can we do besides “attending / watching” live stream of Masses?
We could sanctify our Sundays by praying the Rosary and include reading of the scriptures of the day, preferably with one’s family gathered together; refer to the book: The Church’s Year by Rev. Lenard Goffine for explanations to the readings of the day; and include a spiritual communion prayer. Of course you can say other preferred prayers on your own. Avoid unnecessary servile work.) Freedom, generally, is having the ability to act or change without constraint. ... A person has the freedom to do things that will not, in theory or in practice, be prevented by other forces. Outside of the human realm, freedom generally does not have this political or psychological dimension. But does it mean freedom to do as we like? To run wild and unaccountable for our actions? From the Vatican archives: ARTICLE 3 - MAN'S FREEDOM Man is rational and therefore like God; he is created with free will and is master over his acts. I. FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY For the benefit of Catholic youths may I share this meaningful lesson on freedom according to the Church teachings. A CHAPTER FROM THE YOUNG MAN’S GUIDE- on FREEDOM by Rev. Father Lasance, 1900. 1. This word “freedom” is understood by many young people in a totally false sense, and frequently interpreted to their own destruction; hence it is that good that conscientious parents and zealous pastors of souls are in constant dread with regard to the young men of the rising generation. You desire freedom, and you are not to be blamed for so doing. But do not confuse true freedom with absence of all restraint. For this is for the most part fraught with dangers, and its results frequently, prove disastrous in the case of young people. I wish to warn you before hand of these dangers and disastrous results by pointing out to you how you ought to employ your freedom, if you desire to be really free. 2. How ought you to employ it? Listen to yonder young man, as he greets his newly acquired freedom: “What luck!” Now there will be no more schoolmasters, no more home tasks, no more strict regulations, no being kept in (being grounded), no scolding and petty fault finding. Now I will let myself go, and do what ever I choose - just please myself.” A truly remarkable manner this, of enjoying freedom! Certainly this is not enjoying freedom as a reasonable being or as a Christian, since it opens the wide the door to the passions which obscure reason and jeopardize one’s eternal interests if allowed to have full sway. It is certainly not enjoying freedom as a well-brought-up young man should do, if good manners, and the regard which is owed to the family, are thus trodden underfoot. To act thus is to enjoy liberty like a savage who knows no law, like a wild beast which is destitute of reason. 3. My dear friend, to enjoy freedom after this fashion is to render yourself unworthy of it, to dishonor and degrade it. Such freedom as this is rebellion against the lawful authority of God, the freedom of sinners, the freedom of evil, of the flesh, of the passions, unreasonable license - yet more - it is bondage itself, according to the words of Holy Scripture: “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin” (John VIII, 34.) A madman acts in accordance with the promptings of his own fancy, gratifies his impulses and inclinations, but is he therefore to be called truly free? In the same way may every inordinate passion be more or less designated as a sort of madness, which degrades men and destroys their freedom. They are the slaves of their passions. 4. He who goes into the water for the first time in order to learn how to swim, is guided and held fast by the swimming master by means of a rope, in order that, should he begin to sink, he might be drawn out and rescued without any difficulty. But as soon as the pupil has become somewhat familiarized with the water, and has had some practise in swimming, so that he knows how to keep himself afloat, then he is left free, the restraining rope is withdrawn.Consider the training of a child. In the beginning leading strings are necessary; careful nurses must guide the child, but only in order to teach it how to walk alone; they have to support his steps, but only in order to show it how to direct them; they have to point out the goal to be aimed at, but only to incite it to hasten toward that goal. 5. In matters that pertain to morality, the young man who has been properly trained is free to choose between good and evil; but when he has been accustomed to choose the good, he perseveres in it, even when he is far removed from parents and teachers. He knows that freedom does not do away with duty, that it does not confer the right to do whatever he chooses, that it must have reference to God as our last goal and final end, and that, in the case of the free man, the spirit must rule the flesh, and reason hold sway over passion. 6. Such is true freedom - the freedom which you are bound to choose; it is the freedom which Jesus Christ purchased for you with His precious blood; the freedom of which He bestowed upon you with His truth, “The truth shall make you free;” in a word it is that freedom which love gives to the Christian heart, according to the saying of St. Augustine: “Love, and do what you will!” But St. Paul says:”Love is the fulfilling of the Law” (Romans, XIII, 10) I know not what future will be, but this I do know, that it will exactly correspond to the use you make of your freedom; the abuse of it will lead you to shame, the right use of it to eternal felicity. Take your choice!
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January 2024
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