⁵Now this is what the Lord Almighty says:
“Give careful thought to your ways! 
⁶ You have sown much, but have brought in little;
you have eaten, but have not been satisfied;
You have drunk, but have not been exhilarated;
have clothed yourselves, but not been warmed;
And whoever earned wages
earned them for a bag with holes in it.”

⁹ “You expected much,
but see, it turned out to be little. 
What you brought home, I blew away.
Why?” declares the Lord Almighty.
“Because of my house, which remains a ruin, 
while each of you is busy with your own house.”

Haggai 1:5-6

This daily mass reading from Thursday really spoke to me about one of the biggest paradoxes, and cures, to our modern world. One of the great truths of our lives is that no matter how much we obtain, we are never happy for long. A remodeled kitchen. A fancy new car/SUV. New toys and gadgets. A bigger house. A new job with more authority and prestige. Even having children or getting married to your dream spouse.

We can achieve great things – and people in the past have literally conquered the world – but does it actually make us happy?

And when Alexander saw the breadth of his domain, he wept, for there were no more worlds to conquer

Alexander the Great after conquering the entire known world

The sad fact is that many wealthy, and increasingly, and even ordinary people are anything but happy. We have more convivences, medical care, and technology than any time in history. I worked with very successful people at the world’s most powerful companies – yet I have visited religious that have renounced all possessions and poor people in 3rd world countries that are much more full of joy. Even though they make in a year what many Americans make in a week.

This is what God is trying to tell people in this reading. We haven’t got our lives or prioritized right. God tells us if we turn away from self-directed happiness and attend to that of his Kingdom – it draws us all together and into a right relationship with Himself and with each other. We live in Truth and love for each other instead of just pursuing our own desires and agendas.

But more than just, my prayer time after mass made me realize how much I have been doing, but not listening. Even when we’re doing good things and helping others, if we are not listening to what God has for us personally, we are still just doing what we want. Even doing amazing amounts of good things can leave us unhappy and unfulfilled. Because what brings us happiness is not even those good works. It’s a daily, working relationship with God.

I recently read about a US chaplain that was killed in the Middle East by a roadside bomb. He was constantly visiting troops in the field despite the dangers. His quote when asked about being in harms way but knowing God placed Him there stuck with me:

“There is no safer place than to be in God’s will”

This doesn’t mean life will be easy or without trials or even death. But when we know we are united daily with God and lovingly doing what he calls us to do – I can attest that there there is no greater peace and joy in your heart. Even if there is fear. But just like the Israelites (and myself) – it is easy to be distracted with daily tasks and not actually listen for God’s will nor stay connect every day with the love of your life: God.

So let us take a little time today to stop running around mindlessly doing all the things we think we need to get done. Use Sunday as it should be used. Do not just pray at God, but listen to God. Today, I say, “Here I am God – I come to do your will” and be silent. Sit with the love, truth, and peace that is God – and you will indeed find that true peace and happiness for which you search.