Pain and pleasure, both seem to tempt us
distracting us from our true and lasting joys.
Pleasure alone, brought by the senses
cannot make us truly happy.
They accompany us for a while,
but are soon forgotten
and we weep not for loss of their memory.
Pain on the other hand inflicts our soul
and we cry out for justice,
we seek for God’s goodness.
What makes us happy then
if not the passions of our flesh?
It is the thought we render
upon whatever sensations that come our way,
the light by which our souls perceive true beauty,
by which love is revealed unto us,
changing us,
etching eternity unto our hearts.
It is thus that pain and pleasure become meaningful
even to be vehicles of good
It is thus when pain
reminds us
of the frailty of our pleasures
and how we should seek the things
that will truly last.
It is thus when the pleasure
of seeing a beautiful rose
sinks deep into our soul,
for then a rose is no longer just a rose,
but a gift most warmly and generously given,
always to remind us
how sweetly
and how strongly
we have been loved.