In today’s Gospel, we heard Jesus’ teaching about happiness. The word “blessed” actually means “happy.” Many people might say that, in Jesus’ teaching on happiness, what Jesus calls happiness seems to be the opposite of what a person would wish. And yet Jesus did not lie and so certainly presents the teaching about true and deep happiness. There are 8 ways to achieve happiness. Just as God gave the law of the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai, so on another mountain, the Son of God gave the law of the Eight Beatitudes. Both the Ten Commandments and the 8 Beatitudes are intended for all of God’s children – believing Christians. Fulfilling this law of God brings happiness to the soul! And with the appearance of many that something else brings happiness, we can compare the fairy tale Salt over Gold, in which Maruška told her father that she loved him like salt, which was at first unacceptable and offensive to both father and son, but eventually the value of salt over gold was shown.
I recall a statement by a well-known actor that before November 1989 he did not care about human rights, did not sign the Charter, but only wanted to secure a lot of money for his children, and only in November 1989 did he realize that his children did not so much desire material values, but freedom, truth, love, that is, more spiritual values. And he felt very ashamed of his children. This statement of the actor is confirmed by the Lord Jesus himself when he says to adults: “Unless you become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” We know from experience that a child has a humble mind and an uncorrupt, heart, and therefore understands Jesus and his teachings much better and more accurately. This condition also applies to adults, because the more he is, by the grace of God, as a child, the more he will understand Jesus and his teachings, and he will even be a happy person, as it is found in St. Matthew, which is about happiness.
We will truly understand that happy is a humble person, poor in spirit, not proud, but one who does not cling to things, to successes, to beauty, etc. Happy is a gentle, quiet, tolerant, kind person, happy is one who knows how to cry above all over the evil in himself, over the evil of other people, over the evil in the world, happy is a person who strives for justice combined with love that looks at people and not at paragraphs, happy is a person with a pure heart, i.e. one who controls his lower instincts and passions, happy is a peaceful and peace-loving person who always brings God’s peace into his soul and spreads it around him, happy is a merciful person who sees the needs of others and does not think only of himself, but helps others with word and deed, happy is a person who does not always go with the flow and does not change his coat, but faithfully follows Christ always and everywhere, even if he has to suffer for it. Various political parties always announce their programs before elections.
For 2000 years, the program of us Christians has been the teachings of the Lord Jesus and especially the so-called Sermon on the Mount, from which we read part – 8 of the Beatitudes – the teachings about true happiness. We should read this program of the Sermon on the Mount more often as it is written in St. Matthew in chapters 5-7. Even St. Thomas Aquinas, a great scholar, philosopher and theologian, followed this teaching and was therefore very humble and quiet, for example, he was not ashamed to be a simple religious guide around the city and at another time he humbly admitted that he drew the greatest wisdom from the Cross of Jesus.
Even St. Francis de Sales followed the teachings on happiness; despite hisincorrupt irritable nature, he was known as a very quiet and gentle person who brought peace to others. St. John Bosco received a dream from Our Lady that he would win the hearts of children with meekness and love, and in this way he also found happiness for himself. Unfortunately, today’s contemporary world provides many small sources of happiness, such as various prizes, profits, telephone and Internet technologies, and other attractions, while also relying on advertising in television and print media. Without much advertising, Jesus offers his true happiness, which is seemingly difficult to obtain, but he promises everyone that he will help them obtain it. Jesus, may we always try to offer you what I know.
