Be optimist!

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. 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. In us there is something special. We normally judge people according to what they have and own. For us, the happy are the rich; the rich are the happy people. 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.

What can make the difference between a healthy, happy person and a miserable, gloomy person? Choices! One person is an optimist and the other is a pessimist.  The optimist is like Jesus; he sees the good in all people and all circumstances of life. The pessimist sees only the darker side of others and of life.

Who are you? An optimist or pessimist? Christ and Christians are optimists.