Page:MyPrayerBookHappinessInGoodness.djvu/54



he 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. "Si Deus  pro  nobis,  quis  contra  nos?" "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