The Path to Happiness

This is a computer-generated transcription that has been included to make the homily searchable.  It has not been verified by the author.  This is the translation for the English part of the homily only.

In each one of us there’s a desire for happiness, a deep, deep desire for happiness. But where can we find it? Is it even possible, a happiness that is not just a passing moment, good moment, but a happiness which will really last. And not just a little happiness, but a happiness, which will really satisfy me, fill me and fill me in my deepest desires. And Jesus reveals that this happiness is possible. And it’s especially realized when He reveals that the happiness, He wants for us is greater. So, He’s not asking us to limit our desires so No, don’t, don’t don’t desire so much because you’re never going to get it. On the contrary, He says what I want to give you is beyond anything that you could even imagine, open the size of your desires, because what He wants to give us so much more. And He not only tells us about it, but He shows us the path. The real path to get there. A lot of times people oppose Christianity and happiness, because they think of Christianity and morality as just kind of like obligations and an oppression that keeps us from happiness. But on the contrary, Jesus is showing us the real path to happiness, that all He teaches is the path to happiness. For instance, the 10 commandments are not oppression, but they’re showing us the indications to liberation. So, the gospel we have a great gospel today is this. I have to shorten my little homily, a little bit into bilingual but this is the great gospel of the of the Beatitudes that St. Augustine said that this is like the summary of this whole path, this whole Christian path to happiness. And it’s hard to translate that word. It was sometimes translated as Happy, Happy are those happy or the poor in spirit sometimes it is translated blessed. Blessed are the poor in spirit. Those don’t always seem to us like the same thing right? Happy or blessed. Sometimes we feel like when we’re blessed, we’re not always happy.  And when we are happy we’re not always blessed. But Jesus is speaking of not just a little human happiness, but an infinite what we call a beatitude. Divine happiness, complete, infinite, eternal joy. But the thing He shows us though, that this infinite beatitude is found, where we wouldn’t expect it.  Very different from what the world teaches. Are we guided by the world with its desires or are we following what Jesus explained, which is a very surprising path for our happiness for our humanity. And so, I want to just summarize three points. And so the first point is, each point begins with an “H” so, the first point is happiness, happiness, or beatitude. The other two points, Holy Spirit, and hope. So, because we can listen to this gospel, the Beatitudes, and say, Oh, that’s really nice, but it’s too hard. It’s unrealistic. I’m not a saint. I can’t do that. That’s way too demanding. And it’s not too hard. It’s not just hard. It’s impossible. As Jesus says, In the Gospel, for man, it’s impossible, but not for God, for God, all things are possible. And so, He’s not asked us to live this path by ourselves. He’s asked to recognize, Lord, I can’t do this by myself. He knows that. But that’s why He’s given us since Baptism, the Holy Spirit, the sanctifying grace of the Holy Spirit. So, it’s only the Holy Spirit who can give us the grace to do this. He’s not asking you to do it by yourself, but to recognize our limits and rely on the help of the Holy Spirit. So, for instance, when He says, Blessed are the pure of heart, you can say, well, I missed that one, right, because I am not a little baby anymore and I’m not pure. I’m a sinner. I’m tempted, I fall, and I’m in a world with the so many contaminations, so I’d have to give up on that one. But this is the mystery of the sanctifying grace, sanctifying grace means that the grace of God in the Holy Spirit has been given into your heart. And even if this were still a battlefield, with a lot of battle still going on inside of us. But by sanctifying, grace, the real purity, the Divine purity of love is in you. As St. Paul says, The love of God has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. And so even though we’re still sinners, there’s a real purity in our heart. And we need to cooperate with that, so that it can grow. So that’s the second point, the Holy Spirit. The third point is hope. Because the Holy Spirit’s helping us does that mean, it’s easy. Now, it’s not easy. Jesus is very realistic, and upfront about how difficult this path is and how painful it can be. But what he’s explaining to us also is that the good thing is that so much of what we see as obstacles to my happiness, because the difficulties, that the things that went wrong in my life, the painful things, that disappointing thing, so much of those things, which I see as obstacles to my happiness can actually become the roads, to Beatitude to Divine, beatitude. And so, He can help us to know when we’re on the right path, Even when it’s painful. So, let’s just look briefly at the list of what He gives us. He speaks of poverty, in all its different forms, material poverty, poverty of spirit, that can actually become a path to Divine happiness. Even mourning and weeping can become this path. And in a world where it seems like it’s always just those who, who dominate and who impose themselves. He shows us that the path is a path of respect, and patience and gentleness, respect for others. The past that He walked, and a world of injustice. He calls us to hunger and thirst, for justice, for the justice which comes from God Himself, and a world of cruelty and revenge. His path is the path of showing mercy, a path in a contaminated world of purity and heart and a world of conflict and division. He calls us to be peacemakers. And He shows us that if we’re trying to be faithful to Him, we will often experience persecution. So, see how different it is from the what the devil proposes the devil proposes immediate satisfaction. I think of it like a mousetrap. Think of that mouse. Wow, today’s my lucky day. A big juicy cheese. Nobody else is here. I’m going to jump on it before anyone else gets it. This is my day. And, boom, as soon as he gets it, the devil is a little bit more discreet than that. But it’s the same principle. He enticed us by immediate satisfaction. But it’s a trap, which leads to eternal agony of hell.  On the contrary, the Lord gives a very different path. It’s hard, demanding now. But it’s the path which will lead to the fullness of joy. And He can already give us some foretaste of that in this life. So, to conclude, those three points happiness, God created you for happiness, and He gives you the Holy Spirit to help you on this difficult path. And He gives you hope, so that even if we’re struggling now, He gives you the hope, that you will be comforted. If you are faithful to Him, you will inherit the earth. Be fully satisfied, and your deepest desires of your heart. Obtain mercy, to wipe away your sins. Experience God, the greatest of all experiences, infinite, unimaginable overflowing joy. God in His glory, and not just that be recognized as His sons and daughters to possess His kingdom, possess His kingdom, not a passing Kingdom possess forever, the infinite reward that God has prepared for His children, His faithful children.  Amen

KEYWORDS / PHRASES:
Matthew 5: 1-12
The Beatitudes
Happiness