The Divine Lamp

All text in Italics represent my additions to the following quote.
As the scholar goes to school in order that afterwards he may attain a certain position in life, so man is placed on this earth so that he may attain to the lofty end of eternal happiness. As the servant serves his master and so earns his bread, so man has to serve God, and through his service attain happiness to some extent in this life, and in its fullness after death. (Meditation: Psalm 1) (What the current Catechism has to say about happiness)
We are on this earth in order that we may glorify God, and so win for ourselves eternal happiness.

The glory of God is the end of all creation, All creatures on earth are created for this end, that they may manifest in themselves the divine perfections and God’s dominion over his rational creatures, that is over angels and men, and that he may be loved and praised by them. Even the material world, and creatures not possessed of reason-animals, trees, plants, stones, metals, ect., all praise God after their own fashion: “The Lord has made all things for himself” (Prov 16:4). Man is created for this end, that he should proclaim the majesty of God. He must do so whether he wills it or not. The construction of the body of man, the lofty powers of his soul, the reward of the good, the punishment of the wicked, , all proclaim the majesty of God, his omnipotence, wisdom, goodness, justice, ect. Even the reprobate will have to contribute to the glory of God (Prov 16:4). In the end he will show how great is the justice and holiness of the Lord. Man, from being possessed of reason and free will, is through these able in a special way to give glory to God. This he does when he knows, loves, and honors God. Man is created chiefly for life beyond the grave. In this life he is a stranger, a wanderer, and a pilgrim. “We have not here a lasting city, but we seek one that is to come” (Heb 13:14). Heaven is our true country: here we are in exile. (Read what the current Catechism has to say on the individual believer and the Church as “pilgrim“.)
Hence we are not upon earth only to collect earthly treasures, to attain earthly honors, to eat and to drink, or to enjoy earthly pleasures. (See St Thomas Aquinas’ teaching on this matter)

He who pursues ends like these behaves as foolishly as a servant who, instead of serving his master, devotes himself to some passing amusement. He stands idle in the market-place, instead of working in his master vineyard. He is like a traveler who, attracted by the beauty of the scenery, does not pursue his journey, and so allows the night to overtake him. We are not made for earth; we are made to look upward to heaven. The trees and plants point upwards to heaven, as if to remind us that it is our home. For this reason our Lord says: “One thing is necessary” (Lk 10:42), and again, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His justice, and all other things shall be added unto you” (Mt 6:33).

Unhappily, to many forget their last end, and fix their hearts on money, influence, honor, ect. They are like kings of that heathen country who, although they reigned but for a year and after that had to go and live on a barren island, spent all their time in luxury and feasting, and did not lay up any provisions for the future on the island to which they were bound. He who does not think on his last end is not a pilgrim, but a tramp, and falls into the hands of the devil as a tramp into the hands of the police. He is like a sailor who knows not where he is sailing, and so makes wreck of his ship. Our Lord compares such men to the servant who sleeps, instead of watching for his master’s coming (Mt 24:42). -The Catechism Explained by Francis Spirago

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