Amidst the hustle and bustle of preparing for Christmas, the classic Christmas carol It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year can be heard just about anywhere. Its lighthearted tune and cheerful lyrics, “With those holiday greetings and gay happy meetings. When friends come to call. It’s the hap-happiest season of all” it is easy to become entranced with the song (Williams). It is true Christmas is the happiest season for a Savior was born. However, the happiness of Jesus does not last just season but a lifetime. Christmas provides a perfect opportunity for parish leaders to engage parishioners in conversations about virtues for without them own cannot obtain the happiness of a lifetime, but only for a season. The hustle and bustle of …show more content…
buying gifts, parties and decorating lead many people to fall into the vices of pleasure, materialism and individualism. Ancient philosopher Seneca and religious leaders Clement of Alexandria and Bonaventure of Assisi understood the root of happiness were the virtues of wisdom, purity of heart and humility. This paper address offers insight of Seneca, Clement and Bonaventure notions of the good life and their applicability for contemporary parish communities. Present day culture bombards people with the latest and greatest products, informing consumers they will not be happy without them. People succumb to the pleasures of the world only to end up with loneliness and longing for more once the wonder of their new item wears off. Seneca, an ancient Stoic Roman philosopher, recognize the false happiness brought about through pleasure urges his fellow men to “seek something that is good not merely in outward appearance, something that is solid, balanced, and more beautiful in that part which is more hidden; let this be what we try to unearth” (Seneca, p.87). Pleasure is fleeting, ensuring pain and suffering.
Authentic happiness is long lasting and is the fruit of one pursuing the good life. The good life, according to Seneca, “is in harmony with its own nature” (Seneca, p.87). This is achieved through a wise mind that “is brave and vigorous, and capable of endurance, adapting to every new situation, attentive[ness] to the body and to all that affects it” (Seneca, p. 87). In doing so, one grows in the wisdom and detaches him or her self from material possessions and pleasures, while still being able to engage them without succumbing to lust. “For one pleasures and pains have been scorned…we experience a great joy that is steadfast and constant [and] peace and harmony of mind” and “’possessed of much kindness and concern for those with whom it has dealings’” (Seneca p. 88). The wise one draws upon his or her wisdom witnessing to the freedom of detachment and assists others in purifying themselves in pursuit of the good life.
Seneca’s understanding of virtue and the good life, though it does not include the Christian God, are applicable to today’s church community’s struggles. Taken in the context of today’s promise of “If it feels good, do it”, people fall into the traps of pleasure. Many parish communities struggle with lukewarm followers who easily succumb to the pleasure of a warm bed and sleep rather than fulfilling their Sunday obligation. These parishioners have not searched for what “is solid, balanced and more beautiful”:
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the nourishment of the Word and Eucharist. Another example that is Seneca’s philosophy is applicable to cohabitation. Many couples have decided to intimately share life together in ways only fitting in the context of marriage prior to making vows to one another. The individuals bring about difficulty upon one another through the lack of a lifelong commitment that deepens the stability, security and trust of a relationship. Seneca’s understanding of wisdom would not support cohabitation for it puts one into a situation that has the risk to be fleeting and is not in right relationship with one’s nature. One was made to engage in such an intimate relationship through the sacrament of marriage. Seneca’s distancing of relationship with others as to not to endure pain out of others failures should not be applied to a church community. While it is true that others will cause difficulties for those they love, one must draw upon the model of God’s love and mercy. The parish community can take Seneca’s counsel for the wise and virtuous one to act with kindness and support to those one encounters. In doing so, the lyrics of the classic Christmas carol ring true, “And hearts will be glowing when loves ones are near” (Williams). Many churches suffering from the paradox of lacking finances while parishioners drive up to church in SUV, Bentleys, and Mercedes. Clement of Alexandria addressed the struggle of wealthy and their relation to God in his time. The early Christians were struggled understand the authentic way of living out the Gospel, especially those who were wealthy. Many of them literally interpreted the Gospels, especially Jesus’ words to the young rich man, “’If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me’” (Mt. 19:21). Those wealthy ones, enslaved by the desires of lust, could not comprehend how their life will be filled with happiness without material wealth. Others having heard the second half of Christ’s reply to the rich young man, “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven," (Mt. 19:23) despaired and forwent their pursuit of Christian life. Clement clarified the meaning and intention of the passages the Christians failed to grasp. Jesus was telling the rich young man to detach himself from his wealth, not literally give it away. Doing so, “strangles the reason, and presses it down and inflames it with its inbred lust” (Who is the Rich Man that Can be Saved? §XV). The emphasis on following Jesus is not on the external acts but the internal purification of one’s soul for love of God and neighbor. Clement echoes Seneca’s instruction for man to be indifferent to external goods for they in themselves are not evil. The wealthy could live with material excess as long as they were not controlled by the desires of lust and could freely give to their neighbor in need without sorrow. In becoming pure of heart, Clement instructs those quench of desires to aid others seeking to break the bondage of their passions. One does through their witness of holiness and freedom as well as offering love, mercy and guidance to those still on the path of purity of heart. Parish leaders can incorporation Clement’s virtue of purity of heart in relation to cultivating stewardship in a parish. Time is the prized possession of present day society. It has become much more for people to give their time for it requires much more than a spending money. One has to place the needs of others before their own and let go of the many things they desired to do with the time they are giving to another. Many children today lack the attention of their parents due to hectic school and work schedules. Some parents resort to buying gifts as a substitute for not spending time with their children so they can dedicate more time to work. This reduces the dignity of the children as mere beings to be appeased through material objects, withholding the love and comfort a child needs for a healthy development. Instead, parents should go “caroling out in the snow” with their kids (Williams). Bonaventure, a theologian and Minister General of the Order of Friars Minor, expanded Francis of Assisi’s importance of the virtue of humility.
Throughout time, humility has been one of the most disliked and discarded virtues for it forces one to recognize one’s nothingness and inabilities. However, in humbling oneself, one gains grace, justice and wisdom, which are “the way, the truth and the life” of Jesus (Bonaventure, p.40). Grace in humility gives one “the way of the truth of justice that consists in the performance action” (Bonaventure, p.40). Humility, while is an interior movement of the heart, is reflected exteriorly through just acts and poverty. Justice “leads to a taste for wisdom upon which rests the solace of contemplation” of one’s nothingness in light of God’s greatness (Bonaventure, p.41). Sprung from the root of humility, the foundation of all virtue, one ascends in knowledge and love of God and
oneself. People today have embraced individualism and prestige as the badge of success. Many put their needs and desires first and use whatever means necessary to achieve the desired end. Used in the context of present day, parish leaders can use Bonaventure’s teachings of humility as a conversation starter this Christmas season. The individualism and prestige that is falsely promise honor and respect but only bring loneliness and longing for lasting happiness. Rather than spending money on wants of oneself and others and enflaming the passions of lust, one can offer his time and love to his neighbor as a gift. The latest and greatest product will always let a person down but the memories of time shared together will last a lifetime. Rather than spending many frantic and chaotic hours shopping, Christians can gather together in love and service together through humility and give life to the lyrics of “and hearts will be glowing when love ones are near” (Williams). Rather than making Christmas “the hap-happiest season of all”, parish leaders can teach community members how to cultivate long lasting happiness through the truths of Seneca, Clement and Bonaventure. The good life, consisting of wisdom, purity of heart and humility, brings about happiness throughout the year. While one of America’s favorite holiday songs says its “It's the most wonderful time of the year” Christians can rejoice in knowing that happiness is not defined or produced by season (Williams).
The title to the novella 'A Christmas Carol' this suggests that the story will be a joyful Christian message. 'Christmas' is a time for celebration and togetherness. It is the time for forgiveness, kindness and charity. 'Carol' is a chant which a group of people sing Christmas and Christian songs, so this is meant to be a time where people have fun and are united with family and friends.
... of sainthood requires an excess of self-restraint that makes it impossible to attain the moral mean. The saint may tell himself that the denial of worldly pleasures will bring him true happiness, but in fact he is pursuing a kind of perverse pleasure in self-restraint. Saint Augustine is looking for happiness from beyond life; but happiness, as Aristotle says, comes from achieving the moral mean in life. If we aspire to the moral mean, we must consider moral martyrdom to be like any other excess. In this view, the denial of worldly pleasures is not a virtue; rather, it is a vice that leads us away from the balance that we seek in our lives.
Simply defined, happiness is the state of being happy. But, what exactly does it mean to “be happy?” Repeatedly, many philosophers and ideologists have proposed ideas about what happiness means and how one attains happiness. In this paper, I will argue that Aristotle’s conception of happiness is driven more in the eye of ethics than John Stuart Mill. First, looking at Mill’s unprincipled version of happiness, I will criticize the imperfections of his definition in relation to ethics. Next, I plan to identify Aristotle’s core values for happiness. According to Aristotle, happiness comes from virtue, whereas Mill believes happiness comes from pleasure and the absence of pain. Ethics are the moral principles that govern a person’s behavior which are driven by virtues - good traits of character. Thus, Aristotle focuses on three things, which I will outline in order to answer the question, “what does it mean to live a good life?” The first of which is the number one good in life is happiness. Secondly, there is a difference between moral virtues and intellectual virtues and lastly, leading a good life is a state of character. Personally and widely accepted, happiness is believed to be a true defining factor on leading a well intentioned, rational, and satisfactory life. However, it is important to note the ways in which one achieves their happiness, through the people and experiences to reach that state of being. In consequence, Aristotle’s focus on happiness presents a more arguable notion of “good character” and “rational.”
Epicurus provides some great ideas towards what constitutes happiness and ‘the good life’ that can be applied to many facets of life, however I believe some aspects must be further contemplated to find a more infallible theory. The view that one can only feel pleasure in the absence of pain seems to be one that is very black and white and does not seem to take in the intricacies of modern society. Fundamentally, the pursuit of certain pleasures and the minimisation of pain would likely result in happiness, however a mild dosing of the contrary could also contribute to ‘happiness and the good life’.
Contrary to Aristotle’s view that supreme happiness is related to earthly living, Augustine argues that supreme happiness is not truly found until one seeks eternal life with God. While both mostly agree on the definitions of the virtues, differences arise when one looks at their views on the ends that those virtues should be directed towards. In this essay, I will discuss both Aristotle and Augustine’s ideas of virtues and what each thinks humans should do in order to truly find and achieve the supreme good of happiness.
Christianity has its challenges. It places demands on us that set us apart from the rest of our world. The bible calls us a peculiar people, who navigate the challenge of living IN the world, without being OF the world. When we say ‘no’ to temptations that are enjoyed by the masses, we are labeled as self-righteous snobs, religious weirdoes, or worse. But we persevere, and we press toward that invisible line the Apostle Paul drew in the sands of time…for the high calling in Christ Jesus.
A pill bug is an insect that forms a hard shell around its soft flesh whenever startled or scared. Just like this pill bug, humans guard themselves from anything that hurts them without realizing that they are shutting out the most precious moments of their lives. Ebenezer Scrooge, the main character of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, is a cold man. He finds what he defines as true happiness in the form of money and wealth. At first he only seems to be a machine living in a human form, but as Scrooge's true journey and hardships are revealed, it becomes difficult to blame only Scrooge for his independence. It is inevitable that Scrooge's rudeness and impudent ferocity towards people led to the mistreatment of his dead body, but Scrooge's walls were not built for nothing. As the story progresses, and his true story from start to finish is revealed. There is no one person to blame, for it was the wrong of everyone. As Blaise Pascal once said, “All of humanity's problems stem from a man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”
Sometimes, we faith followers make jokes about shame in our religions. Shame in the church is a common experience for many church members. Though, not every church has this sort of approach in discipleship and behavioral training. Shame has long been a pronounced interest to me. Most church leaders want the church to be a place of hope and inspiration, but some of us have experienced a tremendous amount of shame, also. Growing up within a very conservative John Wesley style holiness church taught me some life-giving valuable faith lessons. We were taught incredible lessons of living one?s life in a way that reflects one?s values and belief system and being empowered to express such values to others. Great lessons in humility and giving all glory to God abound. The church taught a person is best when honoring a holy lifestyle as best able on Earth, including prayer,
...le relates that the healthy exercise of virtuous function in a well-rounded life exploring personal interests and friendships is the cause of which happiness is the unavoidable and fitting effect. In other words, if you pursue the cause you will create the effect, but if you pursue only the effect circumventing the cause, you will miss both effect and cause entirely. “Aristotle rejects the Epicurean principle of pleasure; because, though a proof that isolated tendencies are satisfied, it is no adequate criterion of the satisfaction of the self as a whole. He rejects the Stoic principle of conformity to law; because it fails to recognize the supreme worth of individuality”(Hyde, 175).
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens A Christmas carol was written in 1843, by Charles Dickens, who was born in 1812 at Portsea, in Hampshire. A Christmas Carol as a great success. In its text, were many social issues that concerned Dickens. He wanted to highlight the plight of bad working conditions, child labour and the poor education system, at the time of writing. Dickens knew that the poor could be helped by the rich upper class.
The comparison between the views of Seneca and St. Augustine on the topics of friendship, social class, and death provided an analyst that better proved why early Christians found his philosophy attractive. While they did not disagree or necessarily agree, the text indicates that they contributed to each other’s views, ultimately leading to the enticement of early Christian theologians. As shown above the views of Seneca such as choosing friends wisely, practicing humility for lower-class citizens, and accepting death were before his time. He was a philosopher but he demonstrated faith, which early Christians could and did get behind. Both of them in Letters to a Stoic and Confessions were writing to the reader to help share their experiences that helped better their lives, resulting bettering many early Christian’s lives.
classes, and so he knew what it was like. It was very hard for the
The pursuit for happiness has been a quest for man throughout the ages. In his ethics, Aristotle argues that happiness is the only thing that the rational man desires for its own sake, thus, making it good and natural. Although he lists three types of life for man, enjoyment, statesman, and contemplative, it is the philosopher whom is happiest of all due to his understanding and appreciation of reason. Aristotle’s version of happiness is not perceived to include wealth, honor, or trivial
The study of ethics has for many years divided the philosophy community into competing schools of thought. Two of these schools, Stoicism and Epicureanism, have wrestled with the specific question “How can I be happy?” While the answer may appear obvious at first, the two schools have developed competing theories of happiness that prove it is not such an easy question to answer. The Stoics argue that the way to a happy life is through pursuing virtue. In comparison, the Epicureans argue that a happy life is one free of pain. To clarify, neither school is declaring specific actions right or wrong; rather each is prescribing their own way of life in which happiness can be obtained (Sharples 82). In this paper, I will argue that the Stoic School succeeds because it accounts for the human desire to purse certain virtues without regard to pleasure or pain which is essential to happiness.
Society has identified happiness to be a necessity that consist of wealth and pleasure and materials in order to feel satisfied. Therefore, people feel satisfied with the materials that they obtain and can become dissatisfied with their self. The good life focuses on obtaining intellectual virtues and the fundamental truths. Also, to live a good life they must obtain character virtues For example, a person must become virtuous by improving their character and obtaining reason. Also, the person must know the difference between good and bad actions. To be happy we must acquire the excellence of character and the mean between excess and