When we confuse happiness with a sofa!

By LOA Editorial Office,
Love One Another! 2017-39
Catholic Church

On Saturday the 30th of July 2016, participants of the World Youth Days hiked a dozen kilometers in the pilgrimage to the Campus Misericordiae, otherwise known as the Mercy Field, where two meetings took place: the evening prayer vigil on Saturday, and the closing mass for the WYD in Cracow on Sunday July 31st.

During the prayer vigil those who gathered heard the inspiring testimonies of Rand from Syria, Natalia from Poland, and Miguel from Paraguay. Referring to these testimonies in his address, Pope Francis said that hatred, violence, and terror will not be overcome with even more hatred, violence, and terror. Evil will be defeated only by good and love which proceeds from the union with God through prayer. The Holy Father reminded listeners that evil is constantly attacking us, trying to scare and force us to flee or to close ourselves up. It wants to paralyze us – just as it did Jesus’ disciples after His death, when, filled with fear, they shut themselves in a small room. However, the power of the Holy Spirit freed them from this fear and spiritual paralysis.

Dangerous paralysis

Pope Francis said that one of the worst misfortunes that can befall the youth is to lose the joy of life, that is, to develop an outlook that life doesn’t make sense and has no perspective. This can then lead to complete spiritual paralysis and closing up into oneself. “But in life there is another, even more dangerous kind of paralysis which for the youth is frequently difficult to recognize and admit to” the Pope said. “I like to describe it as the paralysis that comes from confusing HAPPINESS with a SOFA. In other words, to think that in order to be happy all we need is a good sofa. A sofa that makes us feel comfortable, calm, safe. A sofa like one of those we have nowadays with a built-in massage unit to put us to sleep. A sofa that promises us hours of comfort so we can escape to the world of videogames and spend all kinds of time in front of a computer screen. A sofa that keeps us safe from any kind of pain and fear. A sofa that allows us to stay home without needing to work at, or worry about, anything. »Sofa-happiness!« That is probably the most harmful and insidious form of paralysis, since little by little, without even realizing it, we start to nod off, to grow drowsy and dull while others – perhaps more alert than we are, but not necessarily better – decide our future for us…”.

“Dear young people,we didn’t come into this world to »vegetate«, to take it easy, to make our lives a comfortable sofa to fall asleep on” (Pope Francis)

After this introduction the Pope spoke directly to the youth: “I ask you: do you want to be young people who nod off, who are drowsy and dull? Do you want others to decide your future for you? Do you want to be free? Do you want to be alert? Do you want to work hard for your future? […] Dear young people,” the Pope continued, “we didn’t come into this world to »vegetate«, to take it easy, to make our lives a comfortable sofa to fall asleep on. […] But when we opt for ease and convenience, for confusing happiness with consumption, then we end up paying a high price indeed: we lose our freedom. This is the high price we pay. There are so many people who do not want the young to be free. On the contrary, they want you to be drowsy and dull.”

The Holy Father warned the youth against the kinds of dangers that lurk for “couch potatoes”: “This is itself a great form of paralysis, whenever we start thinking that happiness is the same as comfort and convenience, that being happy means going through life asleep or on tranquillizers, that the only way to be happy is to live in a haze. Certainly, drugs are bad, but there are plenty of other socially acceptable drugs, that can end up enslaving us just the same. Both rob us of our greatest treasure: our freedom.”

Jesus is not the Lord of comfort

In a subsequent part of his address Pope Francis argued that no one is doomed to vegetation. Each person’s life can be great and creative if they open themselves up to Jesus. The Holy Father explained vividly what the call to the Christian life entails: “My friends, Jesus is the Lord of risk, he is the Lord of the eternal »more«. Jesus is not the Lord of comfort, security and ease. Following Jesus demands a good dose of courage, a readiness to trade in the sofa for a pair of walking shoes and to set out on new and uncharted paths. To blaze trails that open up new horizons capable of spreading joy, the joy that is born of God’s love and wells up in your hearts with every act of mercy. To take the path of the “craziness” of our God, who teaches us to encounter him in the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the sick, the friend in trouble, the prisoner, the refugee and the migrant, and our neighbors who feel abandoned. To take the path of our God, who encourages us to be politicians, thinkers, social activists. The God who encourages us to devise an economy marked by greater solidarity than our own. In all the settings in which you find yourselves, God’s love invites you to bring the Good News, making of your own lives a gift to him and to others. This means being courageous, this means being free!”

“His bets are on the future, on tomorrow. Jesus is pointing you to the future, and never to the museum” (Pope Francis)

The transformation of our hearts

The Holy Spirit wishes to transform our hearts in the sacraments of penance and the Eucharist just as He transformed the hearts of the apostles on the day of Pentecost, by constancy in daily prayer, in solidly fulfilling our duties, and in service to those around us. Pope Francis emphasized that the transformation of the heart is a mystery to which all who are called bear witness. The Holy Father called: “God expects something from you, God wants something from you. God hopes in you. God comes to break down all our fences. He comes to open the doors of our lives, our dreams, our ways of seeing things. God comes to break open everything that keeps you closed in. He is encouraging you to dream. He wants to make you see that, with you, the world can be different. For the fact is, unless you offer the best of yourselves, the world will never be different. This is the challenge.”

“God comes to break open everything that keeps you closed in” (Pope Francis)

The final accent of Pope Francis’ address was to encourage the youth to not permit anyone to take their freedom from them, but to use it imaginatively for the good of the Church and the world. “The times we live in”, the Holy Father said, “do not call for young »couch potatoes«, but for young people with shoes, or better, boots laced.” […] History today calls us to defend our dignity and not to let others decide our future. No! We must decide our future, you must decide your future! As He did on Pentecost, the Lord wants to work one of the greatest miracles we can experience; he wants to turn your hands, my hands, our hands, into signs of reconciliation, of communion, of creation. He wants your hands to continue building the world of today. And he wants to build that world with you. And what is your response? Yes or no? You might say to me: but Father, I have my limits, I am a sinner, what can I do? When the Lord calls us, he doesn’t worry about what we are, what we have been, or what we have done or not done. Quite the opposite. When he calls us, he is thinking about everything we have to give, all the love we are capable of spreading. His bets are on the future, on tomorrow. Jesus is pointing you to the future, and never to the museum. So today, my friends, Jesus is inviting you, calling you, to leave your mark on life, to leave a mark on history, your own and that of many others as well.”

The Movement of Pure Hearts

We encourage all youth to give up the couch to put on a pair of hiking boots to join the community of The Movement of Pure Hearts.

In the MPH we experience daily that Jesus Christ frees us from all slavery and addiction, forgives all sins, heals all spiritual and emotional wounds, and teaches us to love with pure hearts. On our part, we offer our complete agreement and cooperation. This is why we must surrender ourselves completely to Jesus daily, so that he can treat us, heal us, and transform us spiritually. The cure that the Lord Jesus proposes depends on our radically rejecting sin and everything that leads to it through regular participation in the sacrament of penance. If possible, we should also participate daily in the Eucharist and adoration of the Most Holy Sacrament, along with praying the rosary and reading Holy Scripture. We must be patient and persevering, never surrendering to discouragement, and picking ourselves up immediately after every sin through the sacrament of penance. The Lord Jesus assures us: “the one who endures to the end will be saved” (Mark 13:13).

The Lord Jesus invites everyone to join the Movement of Pure Hearts

When and how can you join this community? Any time! First, go to confession, and after receiving Jesus in the Holy Communion, surrender yourself to him as His exclusive possession, praying the Prayer of Entrustment of the MPH.

Let the editors of Love One Another! know about your joining the MPH, and write a short testimony so that we can send you a special blessing, and enter your name in the Book of Pure Hearts. Pray the Prayer of Entrustment every day; remember the obligations it contains, and put them into practice. And when you find yourself under the assault of temptations, turn immediately to Jesus and Mary with a fervent plea for help. Remember: “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it” (1 Cor 10:13).

Remember to undertake systematic efforts toward the development of your character every day. Arrange your schedule of daily tasks so that you will find time for prayer, work, and rest. Fidelity to these duties will fulfill God’s will and show your agreement to overcoming your egoism and learning to love with a pure heart through the power of Christ.

Remember that the formational publication of the MPH is Love One Another!. Read this magazine regularly, and make use of it in evangelizing those around you. Surround all members of the MPH with prayer every day. The editorial board prays for your intention every day on the rosary, as well as in the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. In your daily effort of walking the path of faith and formation of your character I bless you from my heart.

Fr. Mieczysław Piotrowski S.Chr.
and the editorial staf

Source: https://loamagazine.org/archive/2017/2017-39/when-we-confuse-happiness-with-a-sofa

The above article was published with permission from Miłujcie się! in April 2021.

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