To the Band of Brothers: 
Happiness Band
 

11/4/2026
Fr. Willie, S.J. ’87 | President

In the 26 years I have been a priest, there is one comment people have made to me that I have always found intriguing. Usually, sitting for spiritual direction or in a confessional, the person seems to justify one thing or another by concluding: “Because, at the end of the day, God wants me to be happy.” That statement is almost always followed by a one-word, apparently, rhetorical question: “Right?” Rhetorical or not, I always give a one-word answer: “Wrong!”

Because of the potential shock value, let me be clear: God is not so interested in your happiness. Like it or not, your happiness does not rank high on His priority list. What does rank high is your faithfulness. This, by far, is far more important to Him, whether it makes you happy or not. And, to be honest, it often does not. 

Maybe an example will help.

When I was a kid, my father realized there was no need to pay someone to come to the house every two or three weeks to cut the grass. Sitting at home, he had four strapping young lads who could do it for free. So, one Saturday morning he made his way to Sears (a currently defunct department store) and bought a lawnmower and weed-eater. After lugging them back to the house, he proceeded to teach us how to use them. On that day, the non-profit “García-Tuñón Brothers Lawn Service” was born. 

I often dreaded those Saturday mornings when sitting on the couch watching “The Three Stooges” my father would walk into the Florida room in his pajamas and say, “The grass is pretty high, go out and mow it.” Without a doubt in his mind, he would confidently turn toward the front door, pick up the newspaper, and make his way back to the bathroom or, should I say, the reading room. Grumbling under my breath, I would turn off the TV, change into shorts, a T-shirt, and sneakers, and head to the garage. I was not happy, but I was faithful and mowed the lawn. 

I confess, as a young teenager, my faithfulness was not motivated by a love for a well-manicured lawn, the feel of a motorized machine in my hands, or the smell of freshly cut grass. No. My faithfulness, at the time, was motivated by a sense of obligation to my father, a show of respect, and even a heaping helping of fear of potential consequences if I didn’t do it. Those things ultimately trumped my happiness. In addition, I assure you my happiness was not my father’s interest. He was only interested in the sense of accomplishment the task would give me, the empowerment it offered me to know I was actively participating in the welfare of our family. At the end of the day, he cared more about my faithfulness to him and our family. 

One of the most powerful moments in the gospels takes place in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:39-46). Just before his arrest, after the Last Supper, Jesus breaks down in the garden. Realizing the end was near, he prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet, not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39). Jesus was not happy. In fact, he was terrified. And, while I am sure the Father was also not happy, He was mostly interested in the sense of accomplishment the task would give His Son, the empowerment it offered him knowing he was actively participating in the welfare of our human family. At the end of the day, God was interested in His Son’s faithfulness. 

Doing the right thing does not always make us happy. In fact, doing the right thing, even when it doesn't make us happy, has more merit because it keeps us focused on what's good. No one ever said being a Christian would be easy. It is a life dedicated to being faithful, even when it hurts. Look, I like being happy just as much as the next guy, but while it is great to feel happy, it is ultimately more important to be faithful. This is truly what God is interested in.

Auspice Maria,
Fr. Willie ’87