Humans Seek HappinessHumans Seek Happiness

List 7 things that make a child List 7 things that make a child happy:happy:

List 7 things that make a List 7 things that make a teen/adult happy:teen/adult happy:

The The Restless Restless Human Human HeartHeart

More difficult More difficult questions:questions:

What gives What gives humans lasting humans lasting

happiness?happiness?

What is What is everlasting everlasting happiness?happiness?

A life exampleA life example

St. AugustineSt. Augustine

God: The Source of God: The Source of True HappinessTrue Happiness

WE ALL WANT TO BE HAPPY!WE ALL WANT TO BE HAPPY!

becausebecause

WE WERE MADE TO BE HAPPY!WE WERE MADE TO BE HAPPY!

““True happiness is found . . . In True happiness is found . . . In God alone, the source of every God alone, the source of every

good and of all love” (good and of all love” (CCC, CCC, 17231723).).

Contemplating Contemplating the Human the Human

PersonPerson

Our lives have Our lives have meaning!meaning!

Beauty Beauty TruthTruth

Moral goodnessMoral goodnessPersonal Personal

ConscienceConscienceJusticeJusticeLoveLove

IntelligenceIntelligence

ContemplatinContemplating Creationg Creation

Because we are Because we are created in God’s created in God’s image, we are image, we are endowed with endowed with intelligence.intelligence.

Look at the world Look at the world around us.around us.

Where did all these Where did all these beautiful things come beautiful things come from if not from the from if not from the beautiful One who beautiful One who

made them?made them?

The Church teaches The Church teaches that human intelligence that human intelligence

can discover God.can discover God.

Proofs of God’s Proofs of God’s existenceexistence

(according to St. Thomas (according to St. Thomas Aquinas)Aquinas)

1- Things in the universe move- 1- Things in the universe move- something had to begin the something had to begin the movement; the Unmoved Mover is movement; the Unmoved Mover is GodGod

Nothing causes itselfNothing causes itself

Everything has a cause First CauseEverything has a cause First Cause

The first Cause is GodThe first Cause is God

Proofs of God’s Proofs of God’s existenceexistence

(according to St. Thomas (according to St. Thomas Aquinas)Aquinas)

2- Nothing causes itself2- Nothing causes itself

Everything has a cause First CauseEverything has a cause First Cause

The first Cause is GodThe first Cause is God

““Converging and Converging and convincing proofs” of convincing proofs” of

God’s existenceGod’s existence(according to St. Thomas Aquinas)(according to St. Thomas Aquinas)

Since “Nothing” cannot create Since “Nothing” cannot create something-something-

Everything comes from SomethingEverything comes from Something

3- So There must be something 3- So There must be something independent of all things that could independent of all things that could bring things bring things

into beinginto being

““Converging and Converging and convincing proof” of convincing proof” of

God’s existenceGod’s existence(according to St. Thomas Aquinas)(according to St. Thomas Aquinas)

4- Supreme Model or proof from the 4- Supreme Model or proof from the degrees of perfection in things degrees of perfection in things leading to beauty is similar to the leading to beauty is similar to the last proof:last proof:

Grand DesignerGrand Designer

““Converging and Converging and convincing proofs” of convincing proofs” of

God’s existenceGod’s existence(according to St. Thomas Aquinas)(according to St. Thomas Aquinas)

5- Grand Designer- the created world 5- Grand Designer- the created world contains beauty, order symmetry contains beauty, order symmetry that suggests it was DESIGNED. Thatthat suggests it was DESIGNED. That

Something was designed suggestsSomething was designed suggests

a designera designer

Knowing God throughKnowing God throughDivine RevelationDivine Revelation

Human language and human reason Human language and human reason cannot fully describe God or really know cannot fully describe God or really know

what God is like.what God is like.

God is truly a mystery!God is truly a mystery!

That is why God does not leave us to our That is why God does not leave us to our own limited knowledge. He gives usown limited knowledge. He gives us

Divine Revelation.Divine Revelation.

What Is Divine What Is Divine Revelation?Revelation?

God’s free gift of God’s free gift of self-communication self-communication by which he makes by which he makes known his divine known his divine planplan

God tells us who he God tells us who he really is through really is through the events of the events of Salvation HistorySalvation History

God invites us to God invites us to live in covenant live in covenant with himwith him

The greatest sign The greatest sign of God’s love was of God’s love was the sending of his the sending of his Son, Jesus Christ, Son, Jesus Christ, to be our Savior to be our Savior from sin and deathfrom sin and death

God’s Covenants God’s Covenants with Humankindwith Humankind

Handing Down Handing Down Divine RevelationDivine Revelation

Sacred TraditionSacred Tradition The word tradition The word tradition

means “handing down.”means “handing down.” The Apostles preached The Apostles preached

the Gospel to all the Gospel to all nations.nations.

They chose men to They chose men to succeed them (bishops succeed them (bishops headed by the Bishop headed by the Bishop of Rome).of Rome).

Sacred ScriptureSacred Scripture The word bible means The word bible means

“books.”“books.” Jesus gave the Apostles Jesus gave the Apostles

the authority to interpret the authority to interpret the divinely inspired the divinely inspired Scriptures.Scriptures.

This teaching authority is This teaching authority is known as the known as the MagisteriumMagisterium..

““Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who

sends me.”sends me.”