Today’s Gospel reading is about the “The Beatitudes.” The word “beatitude” means “blessedness” or “happiness.” One can fairly ask, “Are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the gentle and those who hunger and thirst for justice happy? Are the merciful, those with a pure heart, the peacemakers and those persecuted for the sake of justice really blessed? Are those who are insulted, persecuted and slandered for the sake of the Gospel really happy?”
The answer to these questions is “No,” if we define happiness according to the standards of the world. However, it is true that riches and wealth, fame and power cannot give true happiness for they are all fleeting; they come and go, just like our lives on earth. All worldly things will come to pass. We can take a closer look at the world’s rich, powerful and famous. Are they as happy as they seem to be? Are they satisfied with what they have? And therefore not happy because they want more?
In the Beatitudes our Lord presents to us what real blessing is, where genuine happiness is to be found. Being blessed and truly happy can be only in, with and through God. The homeless and the poor, the sick and those in pain, prisoners and those deprived of liberty, those insulted and slandered – they can all be happy.
There are people who are happy and who feel blessed despite the lack of so many things which the world feels essential. A chaplain at a national prison spoke of visitors who wished to share their blessings by visiting or giving to prisoners and who, after time with the inmates, saw much happiness in the prisoners.
Being with God, knowing that one is doing what one has been created for is where real happiness lies. Acceptance of God is the essence of true happiness.
Many saints suffered much in this world; in the eyes of the world, many saints were poor. But the saints were the happiest of people. What this world offers cannot be compared to what heaven has in store for us; the wealth of heaven is way beyond what this world can give.
Being powerful is nothing compared to God’s power. Being famous and known by so many is not as significant as being known and loved by the God who loves each one of us unconditionally.
If we truly desire happiness, let us then desire God. Our problems now will not matter as long as we are with God. As with the saints, it is only with God that we will experience real and lasting happiness.
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