Oct 25 Sun
Will I be happy if I serve others?
Our Lord put the law at the service of man, as in the principle, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
This applies to many realities—one’s work, the economy, the state, civil law, civic associations, the natural world—all made for the good of man; man is not created ultimately to serve them.
Our Lord taught that the true good of human beings is how we should measure both creation and human institutions. Thus, the Church defends the unborn, the poor, the sick, and the elderly.
By doing so, people around us are to see Christ in us and through us. By our example and words, we are to proclaim the Word of the Lord, who is Christ.
It is good for each of us to review the principles of Catholic social teaching to discover, with the help of the Holy Spirit, what each of us can do to promote justice and charity, beginning with the poor and vulnerable. These actions will differ based on our specific circumstances.
First come matters of justice: we should examine our responsibilities, remedy anything unjust we may be doing, and begin doing our duty. A healthy community can exist only if we protect human rights and meet our responsibilities.
Beyond that comes charity: we ought to ask ourselves what we could do for others, out of love, and try to do it.
Living justice and charity make us the “sort of people” in whom others can see Christ, so that we and they can escape “the coming wrath.”
Some other themes at the heart of our Catholic social tradition are:
The call to family, community, and participation. We are social beings with marriage and the family as our central social institution. Laws, policies, and the economy must support human dignity, not undermine it.
Through the principle of subsidiarity, “people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all.
The dignity of work and the rights of workers.
And care for God’s creation.
The Lord has created us for joy. However, we cannot attain it if we do not seek God, if we are not socially minded. Sadness arises from selfishness, from the desire for compensation, from neglecting the things of God and those of our fellow human beings; it paralyzes the best intentions of holiness and apostolate, and casts a shadow over our lives.
Sadness does not stem from difficulties or sufferings—whether minor or severe—but from ceasing to look to Jesus.
Sadness is like a diseased root that produces only bitter fruit; it gives rise to many acts lacking in charity and often prevents the soul from readily resisting the temptations that arise from sensuality.
“What is needed to achieve happiness is not a comfortable life, but a heart in love,” for joy is the first fruit of love. If we truly seek the Lord in our lives, nothing can take away our peace and joy. Suffering will purify the soul, and sorrows themselves will be transformed into joy.