Our Chance at (True) Happiness - Laetare Sunday Sermon - Fr. Patrick Rutledge

sspx.org/en/media - Our chance at true happiness. Fr. Patrick Rutledge, Rector of St. Marys Academy and College (St. Marys, KS) addresses the faithful on Laetare Sunday. Laetare Sunday is a moment in the midst of a penitential season during which the Church calls Her children to rejoice. Why? It is all too often that we, as fallen creatures, easily lose sight of the goal, of the purpose for which we are fasting, for which we are striving during Lent. She calls us to re-orient, to remember, and to look up towards our true calling, the path on which is the answer to finding true (not perfect, but true) happiness in this life and in the perfect happiness in the next.
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AUTOMATIC TRANSCRIPTION: For reference text only.
In the name of the Father and the Son the Holy Ghost him and Reverend father's dear faithful knowing our human condition in this season of penance the church does today like she does during Advent on Gaudete Sunday she invites us to rejoice and she highlights the fact that we are made for happiness perhaps we've tested ourselves during this season of Lent the season of penance perhaps we have said no to the flesh gone out into the desert so to speak like our Lord and the tempter has come up to us to try and dissuade us and discourage us from the efforts that were making maybe there have been some failures maybe there's been a lot of failure there have been a lot of failures during this the season of Lent with the resolutions we wanted to take and so maybe at this point we find ourselves asking if it really if really were happier when we just say yes to ourselves is it kind of a joke for us to pretend like we can say no to ourselves and so discouragement sets in confusion sadness and yet today the church tells us to rejoice, Laetare! be happy our end is our happiness lie well the answer to that question we have to begin by insisting that perfect happiness cannot be had in this life we we've heard it we say it even to ourselves but we really have to assent to that perfect happiness cannot be had in this life we can have true happiness in this life just as the seed is is the Apple to a certain degree invert its of contains virtually the Apple in it but it's not the Apple and I can't enjoy that seed as I do the Apple the happiness we have in this life that is good of course not just a vulgar pleasure is good it is something of God but it's not the perfection no we can't have perfect happiness in this life why because we're surrounded in this life by the finite finite love finite health finite hell wealth finite pleasure and we ask ourselves constantly here in this vale of tears will that person who loves me always love me will I ever have enough will I ever be at peace and here we make two mistakes we either answer yes to this question to these questions will I ever have enough will my health ever be perfect will etcetera etcetera we answer yes to these questions sometimes and think that we will get to a point where we do have perfect happiness chasing after those things as though something outside of us could be the cause of perfect happiness to the human soul and this makes us unhappy makes us depressed or we simply keep asking these questions to ourselves will I have a perfect and stable love will I have enough money will I ever have enough we keep asking ourselves the question hoping that we'll be able to say yes but again frustrated that we never get to that point because in fact we're never intended to get to that point and the problem is that they are bad because what is finite is finite so when we say that there is no perfect happiness in this life we have to mean it we have to really assent to that again it doesn't mean that there aren't shadows of happiness the love of a friend it's good it's real but it's still a shadow of God's love both are good but one is finite and the other is infinite and this is where the the virtue excuse me the gift of the Holy Ghost of wisdom kicks in and helps us to look beyond the shadows of this life and we see the thing that causes the shadow we look at the shadow it's two-dimensional it's flat it's without dimension without variation or color and we can't really grasp that shadow but then we look at the thing that causes the shadow and A's three-dimensional and he's a substance and we can really grab him we can really possess him and he's in color it's God that causes that shadow but wisdom helps us to see that cause the thing that causes the shadow and the thing that we know is the ultimate cause the ultimate the final cause and the soul is at peace because it knows that the shadows real but it is just a shadow that all these creatures that are around us are caused by God and insofar as that's the case they're good and they bring with them a certain degrees of goodness and badness and the rational creatures...
Copyright © 2019 SSPX, Angelus Press

[@carmelitaelizan4850]

Thank you Father, a great sermon to listen to in this Laetare Sunday

[@OneFreeKorea]

“Depression is the refusal of the cross.” The meaning of life, in one sentence.

[@arieldreesen3052]

I grew up thinking that priesthood was for sensitive and weak men, but "traditional" (since true Catholicism is pure tradition) priests, specially those of SSPX, showed me that it takes a real man to be a good priest. May God bless all the priests in the world -- we need'em!

[@linakoh4206]

Thank you Father Rutledge beautiful Homily and explanation.. my prayers from afar for you Father for graces, virtue and guidance 🕯🕯🕯🕊

[@louisemcnamara9189]

Great sermon. Thank you Father! It really resonates with me and I have come back to it many times. God bless!

[@ellenraspberry5249]

If I were a guy, I'd be compelled to become a priest bc of SSPX. Most of their priests seem so intelligent and serene. It's as if we could truly see the graces of Our Lord flowing through them. They're always in my prayers.

[@gerardusyosari327]

Brought much tears to my eyes. Wonderful homily by a holy SSPX priest. God's blessings and love from Singapore.

[@melmckenna4599]

I pray every day for our priests, for there are many out there that are not true to their vocation, and even preaching against those priests who are teaching the truth. May God bless the Sspx and may we all unite in prayer for Archbishop Lefebvre, for we have much to be grateful to him and to God for the true faith

[@kristyburton6507]

Amen 🙏

[@marims.6667]

Superb instruction/sermon for any time of the year! Thank you Father!

[@matthewalexander6792]

Beautiful gentle, intelligent priest! God bless you Fr. TradCat

[@melissa61]

Thank you Father! Great and inspiring sermon. God bless you.

[@wserthmar8908]

SSPX and FSSP are the true defenders of Faith. 🙏

[@PraytheRosaryEveryDay]

FSSP accepts Vatican II and its innovations. That is their 'official' position. They are also officially required to accept the Novus Ordo Missae and concelebrate it at times. The SSPX refuses to stop criticizing Vatican II's errors and the Protestantizion found in the Novus Ordo Missae form of the Mass. It also refuses to compromise the traditional Faith, refuses to say the Novus Ordo Missae and strongly encourages its faithful to avoid FSSP Masses.

[@TIBKProductions]

@@PraytheRosaryEveryDay The FSSP opposition is being controlled by modernists.

[@blackmonkrosaries6038]

Pray the Rosary!

[@fianroger]

Thank you for being faithful...love from Indonesia

[@cdesfusa]

Humble truth spoken, blessed be

[@traditionforever5038]

A blessed Easter to you Father... thanks so much for this beautiful sermon ! God Bless all Holy priest's of the SSPX !

[@kaylap.1191]

Brilliant sermon, Deo gratias.

[@kcagustin5171]

Thank you Father, for a very wonderful sermon.🙏

[@dobermanpac1064]

A good reminder before this year’s Lenten Season. 😇✝️

[@tradcatholic]

Thank you Father.

[@lydialily88]

Absolutely True..Thank you Fr. Rutledge for sharing. God Bless you.🙏

[@Eilbheis]

His stole is improper

[@mosesking2923]

why?

[@colajax]

you best to read up on these stoles and each purpose, this will not be used in the full mass!!!!!

[@shmauer9713]

In St Marys, KS the priest giving the sermon is not the same as the priest saying mass. There are about ten priests stationed there so they rotate each week. This is why Father Rutledge is wearing this stole and not in full vestments.