SATURDAY AFTER ASH WEDNESDAY
Aaron Murphy C ‘14

God’s Guide to Happiness

“Then your light shall rise in the darkness,
and your gloom shall become like midday.”
Isaiah 58: 10b

Who among us would not want our light to rise in the darkness and our gloom to become like midday? In other words, who among us does not want to be truly happy? Happiness is something that everyone seeks. However, the reading from Isaiah teaches us that we may find happiness in a place where many of us never dreamed. “If you lavish food on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted,” then we will find true happiness in God. We are all called to be servants of the Lord, therefore, we must take care of the least among us. If we put others before ourselves and serve those in need, then God will look upon us with favor and will always provide for our needs.

Today’s reading from Isaiah reminds us that we should never be thinking of ourselves first. Instead, we must make sure that we have our priorities in order. Honoring God and serving others are the two most important things which we can do to find true happiness: a happiness which only God can provide.

Lord, help me to be a true servant and always seek
to honor you in all of my actions. Amen.

Is 58: 9b-14, Ps 86: 1-6, Lk 5: 27-32