Humans Seek Happiness List 7 things that make a child happy: List 7 things that make a teen/adult happy:

The Restless Human Heart More difficult questions: What gives humans lasting happiness? What is everlasting happiness?

A life example St. Augustine

God: The Source of True Happiness WE ALL WANT TO BE HAPPY! because WE WERE MADE TO BE HAPPY! “True happiness is found... In God alone, the source of every good and of all love” (CCC, 1723).

Contemplating the Human Person Our lives have meaning! Beauty Truth Moral goodness Personal Conscience Justice Love Intelligence

Contemplating Creation Because we are created in God’s image, we are endowed with intelligence. Look at the world around us. Where did all these beautiful things come from if not from the beautiful One who made them? The Church teaches that human intelligence can discover God.

Proofs of God’s existence (according to St. Thomas Aquinas) 1- Things in the universe move- something had to begin the movement; the Unmoved Mover is God 1- Things in the universe move- something had to begin the movement; the Unmoved Mover is God Nothing causes itself Nothing causes itself Everything has a cause First Cause The first Cause is God

Proofs of God’s existence (according to St. Thomas Aquinas) 2- Nothing causes itself 2- Nothing causes itself Everything has a cause First Cause The first Cause is God

“Converging and convincing proofs” of God’s existence (according to St. Thomas Aquinas) Since “Nothing” cannot create something- Since “Nothing” cannot create something- Everything comes from Something 3- So There must be something independent of all things that could bring things into being

“Converging and convincing proof” of God’s existence (according to St. Thomas Aquinas) 4- Supreme Model or proof from the degrees of perfection in things leading to beauty is similar to the last proof: 4- Supreme Model or proof from the degrees of perfection in things leading to beauty is similar to the last proof: Grand Designer Grand Designer

“Converging and convincing proofs” of God’s existence (according to St. Thomas Aquinas) 5- Grand Designer- the created world contains beauty, order symmetry that suggests it was DESIGNED. That 5- Grand Designer- the created world contains beauty, order symmetry that suggests it was DESIGNED. That Something was designed suggests a designer

Knowing God through Divine Revelation Human language and human reason cannot fully describe God or really know what God is like. God is truly a mystery! That is why God does not leave us to our own limited knowledge. He gives us Divine Revelation.

What Is Divine Revelation? God’s free gift of self- communication by which he makes known his divine plan God’s free gift of self- communication by which he makes known his divine plan God tells us who he really is through the events of Salvation History God tells us who he really is through the events of Salvation History God invites us to live in covenant with him God invites us to live in covenant with him The greatest sign of God’s love was the sending of his Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Savior from sin and death The greatest sign of God’s love was the sending of his Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Savior from sin and death

God’s Covenants with Humankind Covenant with Noah Covenant with Abraham Covenant with Moses, the Sinai Covenant Kings and Prophets Wisdom Literature Jesus Christ, the New Covenant— the climax of Salvation History

Handing Down Divine Revelation Sacred Tradition The word tradition means “handing down.” The word tradition means “handing down.” The Apostles preached the Gospel to all nations. The Apostles preached the Gospel to all nations. They chose men to succeed them (bishops headed by the Bishop of Rome). They chose men to succeed them (bishops headed by the Bishop of Rome). Sacred Scripture The word bible means “books.” The word bible means “books.” Jesus gave the Apostles the authority to interpret the divinely inspired Scriptures. Jesus gave the Apostles the authority to interpret the divinely inspired Scriptures. This teaching authority is known as the Magisterium. This teaching authority is known as the Magisterium. “Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sends me.”