Blessed Amadeus IX had just about everything we tend to associate with happiness.
He was born into royalty. He married a princess. He lived in a palace and eventually became Duke of Savoy. And yet none of those things seem to explain why history remembers him as Amadeus "the Happy."
There's a wonderful story from his life that gives us a clue:
One day, an ambassador visiting Amadeus proudly told him about the magnificent hunting dogs owned by his own ruler. Amadeus apparently had a rather different "pack."
He pointed toward a terrace where the poor were being fed and explained that these were his hunting dogs. With their help, he said, he was hunting something far more valuable: virtue and the Kingdom of Heaven.
That's quite an answer from a medieval duke.
Amadeus IX ruled Savoy during the 15th century, but he became known less for military victories or political accomplishments than for his prayer, peacemaking, and remarkable generosity. He attended Mass daily, frequently received the Sacraments, supported religious communities, and provided for the poor and sick.
He also knew suffering.
Amadeus lived with epilepsy, which eventually became so debilitating that his wife, Yolande, assumed much of the responsibility for governing. He died in 1472 at only 37 years old.
Yet he is remembered as "the Happy."
His happiness apparently wasn't the result of an easy life. He knew illness, political turmoil, family responsibilities, and the burdens that came with governing.
Instead, his life seems to point toward a very different understanding of happiness.
One motto associated with Amadeus instructed his successors to do justice and love the poor, promising that God would give peace to their lands.
Maybe "the Happy Duke" understood something easy to forget: Christian joy doesn't require everything in our lives to be going well. It comes from knowing where we're going and choosing, day after day, the things that help us get there.
Our Today I Choose Joy Floral Wall Cross offers a simple reminder of that same choice. We won't always be able to choose our circumstances, but like Blessed Amadeus, we can choose where we look for our joy. Discover yours today at The Catholic Company!
