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OUR RESTLESS HEART

by Fr. Vincent Mkhabela, MCCJ

WHAT IS THE PATH TO TRUE HAPPINESS?

“A few weeks ago,” writes Comboni vocation minister Fr Vincent Mkhabela, “I was doing my shopping in SM, and as I was passing by National Bookstore I came across an educational poster describing what happiness is. I read it and was inspired to write a simple article about happiness.”

There are so many things that can make us happy.

For example, being kind to other people brings satisfaction; writing a love letter and keeping a promise truly make us happy as does taking time to listen to ourselves and to others. And seeking out a forgotten friend brings us more joy; in sharing some material and spiritual treasures we discover the secret of happiness. Ending a quarrel brings happiness; so does being thankful; and laughing a little is happiness. Speaking or showing your love, dreaming good dreams, and laughing a lot, all this makes us happy.

Not getting there?

In spite of all these things that can help us become happy and fulfilled in life, many young people still feel that they are not getting what they should out of life. After successfully completing their studies and beginning to work, some discover they don’t like their profession, and they keep on changing their career.

Last Christmas one young man said to me, “Father, I am dissatisfied; I have reached 26 years old and have got exactly nowhere”. Another worried young lady said, “Father, the years are slipping by, no boyfriend, no marriage, no happiness.”

Why are we not happy? Maybe it is because we do not know who we are; we don’t understand the purpose of our life and mission. I believe now is the time to know and discover the “true happiness” we are longing for.

Deep inspiration

True happiness is what gives us complete satisfaction always, because it responds to our deep human inspiration. In this difficult topic about happiness, only God can help and enlighten us. Jesus is the master of happiness. He became man and lived among us to open up for us a new way towards happiness which original sin had blocked.

The scripture says in Genesis 3: 1-19 that Adam and Eve decided to be happy alone, leaving out God and being against him. They abused their freedom, they made a mistake, and they remained crushed with God. They painfully experienced being torn apart from God and from themselves, because God is absolute, he is the true happiness, away from him and without him we cannot become truly happy.

Good news

Jesus Christ taught us clearly what true happiness is. He indicated the way towards happiness and gave us his Gospel, which we can call it “The book or manual of happiness”. If we want to be happy, we must let ourselves be led by our master Jesus. Many times, we experience that his teaching does not coincide with our taste or preferences, because he calls us to renounce and to sacrifice.

Jesus is the unique truth, the unique master, and the unique person who does not make a mistake. “I am the way, the truth, and life, no one goes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Following him we shall be happy.

Happiness is loving

We can summarize the teaching of Jesus in this fundamental affirmation: “Happiness consists in loving, because human beings exist to love; love is the fundamental vocation.” Love is and must be always towards something. Jesus tells us that it is not possible to be fully happy if we exclude God. “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all mind.” (Mt 22:37); “you shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Mt 22:39). It is not possible to be happy excluding love. We can attain complete happiness if we love without limits.

In this regard, St. Augustine will repeat to us that famous affirmation that came from his heart, after having suffered for many years searching for happiness in different places: “My heart is unsatisfied and restless until it find rest in you, my Lord”

We are created to be happy and the only one capable of satisfying us fully so as to be happy is God.<WM