Matthew
5:1-12
Seeing
the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his
disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:
‘How
happy are the poor in spirit;
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy
the gentle:
they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Happy
those who mourn:
they shall be comforted.
Happy
those who hunger and thirst for what is right:
they shall be satisfied.
Happy
the merciful:
they shall have mercy shown them.
Happy
the pure in heart:
they shall see God.
Happy
the peacemakers:
they shall be called sons of God.
Happy
those who are persecuted in the cause of right:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Happy
are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny
against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great
in heaven: this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.’
Food
for thought
The
gospel reading begins by saying, "Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill.
There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to
speak." It all started by seeing. There is something special Jesus saw in
those people he saw. This something is so important that it made Jesus 1) go up
the hill, 2) sit down, 3) speak.
What
Jesus saw is what he said: a blessing, a happiness, a joy that is beyond all
suffering and poverty. Jesus saw happiness even in the suffering, in the poor.
In us there is something special; yes, in all of us there is a happiness buried
under problems and worry and suffering. We need to learn to see through the
eyes of Jesus in order to see happiness.
We
normally judge people according to what they have and own. For us, the happy
people are the rich; the rich people are the happy. But this is not true;
happiness is not tangible, it is not material, it is not visible. Happiness is
spiritual because it is in the spirit.
And
since God created us in his own image and likeness, so the likeness of man is
in his being spiritual. That is why it is possible to be happy and poor, to be
happy in suffering, to be happy in gentleness, to be happy in the hardships of
life.
Have
you ever noticed how some people seem to be happy no matter what is taking
place in their lives? There is a buoyancy to their spirit and a sparkle to
their personalities. A kind of glowing field of energy seems to radiate from
their faces, their words, and from their works. There are others who seem to be
predisposed to gloomy, negative thoughts. They seem to live in a perpetual shower
of unhappiness.
The
happiest people are those who are working to give happiness to others.
Happiness is not found by seeking it; it is a by-product of trying to help
others.
"Happiness
is by-product of an effort to make someone else happy." (Getter Palmer).
The
saints are the people who made and make others happy.
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