THE PURPOSE OF LIFE
St. Thomas
Aquinas stated, "No one can live without joy. That is why a person
deprived of spiritual joy goes after carnal pleasures."
What
is the ultimate end and purpose of life? Is it not happiness, which is none
other than the complete good, the sum of all goods, leaving nothing more to be
desired? Jesus addresses this question in His Sermon on the Mount. The word
"beatitude" literally means "happiness" or
"blessedness." What is the significance of the Beatitudes and why are
they so central to Jesus' teaching?
The
Beatitudes respond to the natural desire for happiness that God has placed in
every human heart. They teach us the final end to which God calls us, namely,
entering into His Kingdom, into the joy of the Lord (cf. Mt 25:21-23), and into
His rest. The Beatitudes also confront us with decisive choices concerning the
life we pursue here on earth and the use we make of the goods God puts at our
disposal. It is He alone who satisfies. We need to seek the highest good, the
total good, which is above all else! For, to seek the highest good is to seek
God.
In
today's first reading, Elijah takes courage and speaks boldly to King Ahab
declaring, "As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives...there shall be no dew
or rain except at my word" (! Kgs 17:1). Elijah receives a warning from
God that he will escape from the King. But, actually, the words of God are not
so much a warning as they are an assurance. God wants Elijah to know that He
will protect him and He will even see to it that he is fed by ravens. Actually,
we can see that Elijah is already living according to the Beatitudes even
before they were proclaimed by Jesus. All of the Beatitudes add up to one
truth: trust in God and you will find happiness, joy and peace. God alone
satisfies Elijah and protects him in his mission because he is doing the work
of God.
We,
too, are called to live out this mission statement that comes from Jesus; live
it with compassion, forgiveness and gentleness. No matter what we are called to
in life, no matter how challenging our situation may be, we must have trust in
God. To be "poor in spirit" means to rely completely on God just as
Elijah, with great joy. The Beatitudes, however, can be a sign of contradiction
according to the world's understanding of happiness and joy. After all, how can
one possibly find happiness in poverty, hunger, mourning, and persecution?
Poverty of spirit finds ample room and joy in possessing God as the greatest
treasure possible, and the spirit of hunger seeks nourishment and strength in
God's Word and Spirit.
Sorrow
and contrition of sins leads to the joyful freedom from the burden of guilt and
spiritual oppression and reveals to the humble of heart the true source of
abundant life and happiness. St. Thomas Aquinas stated, "No one can live
without joy. That is why a person deprived of spiritual joy goes after carnal
pleasures." Jesus promises His disciples that the joys of heaven will more
than compensate for the troubles and hardships they can expect in this world.
We recall the words from our Responsorial Psalm, "Our help is from the
Lord, who made heaven and earth" (cf. Ps 121:2). May we hunger and thirst
for God alone!