We all want to be happy. It is one of the deepest desires of the human heart. And yet, for all the comforts and opportunities of modern life, genuine happiness can seem remarkably difficult to find. Perhaps this is because we spend so much time pursuing the things we think will make us happy, without asking ourselves what happiness really is.

The month of November is a particularly fitting time to consider this question. We began the month celebrating the saints, who now enjoy the perfect happiness of seeing God face to face, and we continue to pray in a special way for the faithful departed, that they too may come to share in the joy of Heaven. In this way, the Church turns our thoughts toward eternity and invites us to reflect upon the Four Last Things: death, judgment, Heaven, and hell.

But these are not simply realities awaiting us at the end of our lives. They remind us of the purpose for which we were created and invite us to consider how we are living here and now. If our ultimate happiness consists in being united with God forever, then we must ask ourselves whether the choices we make, the things we love, and the goals we pursue are leading us closer to Him.

In this video on the nature of true happiness, we explore why happiness is so closely connected to the purpose of our lives, and how we can recognize whether we are moving in the right direction.