Who lies behind our search for happiness? It is part of our human nature to strive for happiness. Music idols, fashion gurus, diet experts and other ‘voices’ fill our minds and hearts with images of whom we should become and of the happiness we should strive to live for. Think about the lyrics of a song or hymn or one of the psalms with which you are familiar, where the writer is reflecting on the human search for happiness.

The search for happiness The inspired authors of Sacred Scripture often address the human heart’s search for the meaning and purpose of life. Happy are those who trust in the Lord. (Proverbs 16:20) Jesus revealed the nature of true happiness in the Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes are the blueprint of a true disciple of Jesus, and living the Beatitudes is the source of true joy and peace. Read the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12. What do you think of the directions that Jesus gave as the blueprint for living as his disciples?

Divine Providence True human happiness is rooted in our relationship with God. Unhappiness results when we do not listen to God. The term ‘Divine Providence’ is used to describe God’s loving care and concern for all he has made, and how he continues to watch over creation, sustaining its existence and presiding over its development and destiny. Have you ever felt God reaching out to you? Tell your story. .

The mystery of evil and suffering We may wonder ‘If God is good, why does evil and suffering exist? Why do bad things happen to good people?’ God is not the cause of evil of any kind. God is all-good and all-loving. God only brings about what is good, and God can bring good out of evil. God is always present with us, through the good times when we may forget him, and through the bad times when we may ask for his help.

God makes his love and goodness known Human history is, in reality, salvation history. It is the story of God reaching out to humanity to fulfill the divine plan of Salvation and also of humanity’s response or lack of response to God. God has made known that he invites all people to share a life of love with him, now and eternally. This Revelation began at the dawn of creation and culminated in Jesus Christ. We call this Divine Revelation. We can come to know God through reason and experience as well as through Divine Revelation; for example, through experiencing something beautiful, someone loving or something precious. Where do you see God’s plan of goodness unfolding in your world?

Revelation and the Covenant The writings of the Old Testament tell the story of God reaching out and entering the Covenant with Adam and Eve, with Noah, with Abraham and his descendants, and with Moses and the Israelites. These inspired writings tell of how God’s people both responded and did not respond to the divine invitation.

Jesus, the Father’s definitive Word At God’s appointed time, he entered the ‘new and everlasting covenant’ with humanity. Jesus is the final and definitive Covenant between God and humankind. St. Paul’s letter to the Hebrews tells us: Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. (Hebrews 1:1-3) How does this passage help you to come to know Jesus better?

All Scripture is inspired by God As a young man, St. Francis of Assisi longed for and sought happiness through success, prestige and popularity. However, it was not until he heard a passage from Sacred Scripture that he realized what would make his life meaningful. Inspired by Luke 10:4-6, 8-11, Francis divested himself of his family’s wealth and possessions to follow Jesus. What Scripture passages give you guidance for your life?

Sacred Scripture Sacred Scripture is the inspired record of God’s Revelation in history. God is the primary author of Sacred Scripture; God inspired its human authors. The canon of Scripture is the list of Old Testament and New Testament books that the Catholic Church accepts as the inspired Word of God. There is an unbreakable unity between the Old Testament and the New Testament. The sacred texts teach without error those truths that are necessary for our salvation.

Reading Sacred Scripture Five guidelines for reading Sacred Scripture: Pay careful attention to how different pieces of Scripture fit together. Read Scripture within the living Tradition of the whole Church. Be attentive to the inner harmony that exists between all truths of faith revealed by God. Keep in mind that interpretation of the inspired Scripture must be attentive to what God wants to reveal for our salvation. Distinguish between the literal and the three spiritual senses of Scripture.

Scripture and Tradition Sacred Tradition is the living transmission, or handing on, of the message of the Gospel in the Church from the Apostles to their successors, the Pope and the bishops, through the ages, in an unbroken line of succession. Scripture and Tradition are the Spirit-guided ways of transmitting God’s Revelation to our lives. Together, Scripture and Tradition make up a single Deposit of Faith. The Deposit of Faith is the ‘heritage of faith contained in Sacred Scripture and Tradition, handed on in the Church from the time of the Apostles, from which the Magisterium draws all that it proposes for belief as divinely revealed’. (USCCA, p. 509)

The Magisterium The Magisterium is the living teaching office of the Church. It is made up of the Pope and bishops and is guided by the Holy Spirit. Its responsibility and task is to authentically interpret the Word of God, whether in its written form (Sacred Scripture), or in the form of Tradition. Christ has blessed the Church’s Magisterium with the charism of infallibility so that, in matters of faith and morals, the Magisterium will teach without error the truth of all that God has revealed. .

Traditions with a small ‘t’ The Church also has many traditions. These are the diverse ways the Church authentically celebrates and gives witness to her Tradition and faith in various times and places throughout the world. These traditions include such practices as the celebrations honoring Mary and the other saints, visits to sanctuaries and shrines, pilgrimages and processions, the Rosary and the Stations of the Cross, the wearing of medals and scapulars, and religious dances. What special traditions do your family or parish share to celebrate your faith?

Blessed Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII (1881-1963) had been Pope for less than one hundred days when he announced that he was calling an Ecumenical Council, which would become known as the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). He gathered the bishops of the Church to read ‘the signs of the times’ and to address the Church’s need to speak the Gospel in a language that both clearly expressed Tradition and addressed the needs of the contemporary world. How can Catholic teenagers give a living contemporary witness to the wisdom of the Tradition of the Church?