Part 1 – Peace
Chapter 1 – Happiness and Joy– Matthew 6:33
What is happiness? How do we find joy, peace, power and passion in our vocation as single, divorced, widowed and Catholic? A good start is to fall in Love with your faith. We will focus on Peace and Happiness in this chapter. What makes you happy? Write a mission statement as to what really makes you happy? If material wealth, other people or things make you happy start thinking outside of yourself. Are you happier by giving something or getting something? Change your thought process. Start by praying. Everything begins with prayer. Happiness begins with prayer. Pray for others. Start by praying for your loved ones. Pray a prayer of Thanksgiving for all God has done for you in good times and bad. You have the gift of life, love, friendship, health, housing, food, money, transportation. Pray for Life, our Pope, Peace on Earth, our politicians, souls in purgatory, our families and friends and even our enemies or those we dislike or those who dislike us. How could anyone dislike us? That would be impossible, right?
Have fun with being you. Have fun being alone. Have fun in the presence of God! Are you aware when you are alone you are in the presence of God. When you are with others you are in the presence of God. We sometimes just think we are only in the presence of God when we are in Church, at Mass, in Eucharistic Adoration, praying.
Think about the times you are most happy. Are you glorifying God when you are most happy, regardless of where you are or who you are with, be it at your child’s game, recital, with a friend, at mass or praying or maybe even out for a walk or jog. If you are not try bringing God in. Just say thank you Jesus in your head at first, then say it out loud when you are comfortable, then pray it out loud when you are comfortable. Take baby steps. You and I are a work in progress regardless of what stage of faith we are at. Try it! Practice an attitude of gratitude all the time, no matter where you are, who you are with or what you are doing, even if alone, and watch your happiness grow! Matthew 6:33 tells us – “Seek the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, and everything else will be added”.
Charles DeFeo: Catholic Blogger and Useless Servant of Christ 