We need not be poor or unhappy. True riches and happiness are found in the knowledge, love, and imitation of Christ, loving and embracing with Him all that the world abhors: poverty, humiliation, contempt, abuse, injuries, persecution, suffering, the Cross.

In his General Examen (101), Ignatius Loyola says to candidates for his religious order:

(I)t helps … in the spiritual life to abhor in its totality … whatever the world loves and embraces, and to accept and desire with all possible energy whatever Christ our Lord has loved and embraced. Just as the men of the world who follow the world love and seek with such great diligence honours, fame, and esteem for a great name on earth, as the world teaches them, so those who are progressing in the spiritual life and truly following Christ our Lord love and intensely desire everything opposite.

That is to say, they desire to clothe themselves with the same clothing and uniform of their Lord because of the love and reverence which He deserves, to such an extent that where there would be no offence to His Divine Majesty and no imputation of sin to the neighbour, they would wish to suffer injuries, false accusations … and to be held esteemed as fools (but without their giving any occasion for this), because of their desire to resemble and imitate in some manner our Creator and Lord Jesus Christ, by putting on His clothing and uniform, since it was for our spiritual profit that He clothed Himself as He did. For He gave us an example … to imitate and follow Him, since He is the way which leads men to life.

Yes, to true life and happiness.

They had the apostles called in, gave orders for them to be flogged, warned them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. And so they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, glad to have the honour of suffering humiliation for the sake of the name. (Acts 5:40-41)

What the world casts off and flees from, we can gather up and embrace. True riches are spiritual, not material. True happiness is found in the love and possession of true riches.

It is the pagans (unbelievers) who set their hearts on all these things (life and food, the body and clothing). Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. Set your hearts on His kingdom first, and on righteousness, and all these other things will be given you as well. (Mt. 6:32-33)

True life is eternal life.

Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not be lost but may have eternal life. (Jn 3:16)

And eternal life is this: to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. (Jn 17:3)

Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ is revealed – and He is your life – you, too, will be revealed in all your glory with Him. (Col. 3:1-4)

I have told you often, and I repeat it today with tears, there are many who are behaving as the enemies of the Cross of Christ. They are destined to be lost. They make foods into their god and they are proudest of something they ought to think shameful; the things they think important are earthly things. For us, our homeland is in heaven … (Philippians 3:18-20)

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Mt. 6:21)

Happy are the poor in spirit … those who mourn … those who are persecuted in the cause of right … Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; thus have they persecuted the prophets before you. (Mt. 5:2-12)

Happy the man who listens to these words and puts them into practice.

Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall; it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had! (Mt. 7:24-27)

We are truly rich, happy and alive when we are growing in the knowledge, love and imitation of Christ.

Fr. Van Hee, “The Conscience of Parliament Hill,” is in the 10th year of his pro-life witness in Ottawa, maintaining a daily presence in front of the Parliament Buildings whenever MPs are in session.