The first day of Latin class in seminary we translated a few simple sentences from the great Roman philosopher and politician Cicero, among them the opening line of a letter to his wife: “Si vales valeo” which means “if you are well, I am well.” Not only does this example show the brevity of the Latin language to express ideas that require many words in modern languages, but it also portrays an aspect of a sentiment which I oftentimes encounter today expressed with the phrase, “if you are happy, I am happy,” or perhaps the more direct statement: “do whatever makes you happy.”
I find this common way of thinking quite dangerous, because ultimately it is bad advice. On the surface, it appears tolerant and harmless, but it does not take into account the moral value of the actions undertaken. Objectively speaking, there are things that may appear to bring happiness but they do not due to their negative consequences or because they are against the law. Suppose Bob uses recreational drugs and it makes him happy, even if temporarily, and his mother’s response to him is, “my son, do whatever makes you happy.” Or imagine Sue who runs a human trafficking network and is able to make hundreds of thousands of dollars, funding a luxurious lifestyle which she greatly enjoys, and her father’s response to this horrendous situation is, “if you are happy my daughter, I am happy.” These are extreme examples to make a simple point: I cannot be happy just because you are happy – not all choices are of equal moral value.
In his book The Confessions, Saint Augustine wrote centuries ago, “we all want to live happily; in the whole human race there is no one who does not assent to this proposition, even before it is fully articulated. How is it, then, that I seek you, Lord?” The Church proposes that every human person is created seeking true, lasting happiness, and this is only found in the measure that one encounters God. True lasting happiness, or beatitude, is found in heaven when an individual beholds God face to face. Only then, every single human desire is satisfied. Jesus proposes in the Gospel the Beatitudes, a path to happiness that appears to disregard the wisdom of the world – how can the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, the hungry for righteousness, the merciful, the clean of heart, peacemakers and the persecuted be happy?
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that true happiness is not found in riches or well-being, in human fame or power, or in any human achievement. The happiness we are promised however, invites us to purify our hearts of bad instincts and to seek the love of God above all else (CCC 1723). Jesus preached, “do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be (Matthew 6: 19-21).” In the beatitudes Jesus invites us to seek lasting happiness in what is eternal, rather than on things that are passing away which always leave us wanting. Even when facing challenges, if a heart retains a firm foundation in God, true happiness is always within reach.
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