HAPPINESS RESTS ON THE
KNOWLEDGE OF GOD AND THE PURSUIT OF GOOD WORKS
Every philosopher has a
description of happiness. Zeno, Aristotle, Theophrastus and the Peripatetics
maintained that a happy life consisted in virtue; except that virtue for
them pertained to advantages of the body.
Sacred Scriptures has it that
happiness rests on a knowledge of Divine things and on the fruits of good
works, "This is eternal life. . .to know Thee, the only true God and
Jesus Christ Whom Thou has sent." And about works: "Everyone that
has forsaken house, or brethren or sister or father or mother or wife or
children or lands for My Name's sake. . .shall inherit eternal life."
If a man is always busy
talking and yet is slow to act, he shows by his acts how worthless his
knowledge is. Besides, it is much worse to know what one ought to do and yet
not to do what one has learnt should be done.
On the other hand, to do good
works without knowledge of Divine things is useless; it is like raising a
beautiful Dome upon a bad foundation.
Let your virtue be perfect,
i.e. there must be reasonable agreement between words and acts.
St. Ambrose: Duties
of the Clergy, Bk. II, Chap. 2
(01-15-04)
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