Aquinas and Happiness

Well I'm back. Back in the Grove, sitting on the second floor of the SAC marking papers with a blue highlighter trying to encourage myself to actually do some schoolwork, when all I really want to do is something other than schoolwork.

I'm working on a paper for Civilization, one of those great Humanities classes that GCC makes everyone take in order for them to have a well-rounded education. In talking to others and hearing about their papers it sounds like mine may be one of the harder ones that is required to be written. I have to take a reading from some great philosopher/theologian of old and analyze it searching for his answers to two of James Sire's seven questions that every worldview must answer.

At least by now its going better than it was the other day riding back from good old Massachusetts. I was sitting in the backseat of Uriah's car trying in vain to understand what I was reading. I had determined that perhaps I would do Aristotle's musing on the human soul as my reading to analyze, but wait, all Aristotle answered was one of the worldview questions. Sigh...well maybe Thomas Aquinas then. Nope, not him either. It was at that point I gave up for the day.

Of course as I sit here now I am actually highlighting Aquinas' work as when I read it later with a clearer mind I discovered he does, in fact, answer two of the worldview questions!! HOORAY!! Can you feel the sarcasm seeping through?

However, more importantly this reading points to the fact that the ultimate happiness of man consists in the contemplation and understanding of God. And you know what I don't believe that as much as I should. I mean I do believe it, but I put it on the backburner so often, especially over break trying to see all my friends, which is by no means a bad thing, and can be very spiritually uplifting. But what about all these times at college where I'll play Guitar Hero for another hour instead of seeking God and His truth, the only thing that can really bring happiness. I need to stop settling for anything other than the ultimate happiness of knowing God...because I certainly do more times than not.