The Glory In the Story
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The Resurrection of the Lord teaches us that the point of living in history is to prepare for our eternal home, the new heavens and the new earth. Nevertheless, as fallen humans we are so tempted to live for the now and make popularity our goal. For instance, the musical, Hamilton, recounts the life of Alexander Hamilton, and how he prioritized his quest for greatness over the needs of his family, with the goal of having his story told. The lives of many people today seek the same goal and hope others will tell their story once they are dead. We seem to have created a cult of celebrity to unseat the worship of God.
As Shakespeare once remarked, “Fame lulls the fever of the soul, and makes us feel that we have grasp'd an immortality.”
Isn’t it incredible how tirelessly the human soul longs for immortality but too easily settles for the acclaim of men? Lord, purify my fleeting desire for fame so that I live and act for eternity.
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Success when pursued as a worldly end is wrong. This is because some fail to see that the ultimate success is union with God. When we achieve the good things, the truly good things in life we discover their goodness because they somehow participate in the supreme good of union with God, who made all good things as a reflection of Himself.
Something is good if it fulfils its purpose or design.
To enjoy goodness to the full, we must seek the supreme goodness to which all good things point. In general, we need a Hierarchy of good things - three levels of good:
Extrinsic / External created goods:
Food and drink – especially coffee
Houses and cars
Books
i. These are a means to higher goods and not ends in themselves
Intrinsic goods – Essential things everyone needs to flourish; these are the goods of the Body and soul
Physical goods, health, safety, security…
Psychological – stability and variety
Family and friends
Knowledge,
Achievement,
Beauty
Identity
i. These are intermediate ends – no one and not all of them together are the purpose of life
Lastly, the Divine Good – Union with God, sharing in His Life
This is the ultimate purpose of life
We need all of these, but we must keep them in order. If we do, this is how we find happiness.
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To be happy, we can’t chase the general idea of happiness. Rather, we must pursue goodness. Then, use that goodness as a means towards divine union. St. Bonaventure said of St. Francis of Assisi, “Aroused by all thing to the love of God, he rejoiced in all the works of the Lord’s hands and from these joyful manifestations, he rose to their life-giving principle and cause. In beautiful things he saw Beauty itself, and through God’s vestiges imprinted on creation, Francis followed the Beloved everywhere, making from all things a ladder by which he could climb up and embrace him who is utterly desirable” (Life of St. Francis by St. Bonaventure, chapter 9).
Do I live my life clinging to the good things of this earth as an end in themselves, or do I seek God’s love and service in and through them? Is the focus of my life for worldly or heavenly glory?
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“Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” (Matthew 6:33.)
Many men and women lived their earthly lives seeking to love God and others. These, are the saints, upheld by the Church as examples for the rest of us. Some had the incredible task of possessing powerful positions, either in the government like King St. Louis or Queen St. Elizabeth of Hungary, or in the Church like Pope Saint Gregory the Great, or Saint John Paul II, all of whom bore great earthly responsibilities for the greater good of others. Yet there are many more, such as St. Therese, St. Mary of Egypt, St. Benedict Joseph Labré, Blessed Pauline Jaricot, Blessed Conchita and countless other martyrs and mystics whose lives were relatively unnoticed and who are not recorded by historians as having enjoyed a similar impact on history.
Part of the blessings of this world is the result of hidden acts of charity known only to God.
We are all called to be saints. You may be called to be a great historical figure and saint, you may be called to be an unnamed martyr. Accept the task given, and always seek first His kingdom.
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Our life is being prepared for unbelievable glory flowing from Jesus and the by the intercession and graces channeled through His saints. This is the true purpose of history. We can become a great saint, and lead others on the path to sainthood. We are in the midst of this adventure. All the tension, sacrifice and heartbreak that we endure are part of the path, the story, the drama that leads to our salvation. Let us ask for the intercession of all those great men and women, known and unknown, who kept the Faith until the very end.