Who is the happiest human of the world? In other words what makes a human really happy? Can money, power, influence, fame, or luxury make someone happy? In other words, What makes me happy? Am I a happy human? These are some of the interesting questions, one could ask oneself.
Today we enjoy a number of advantages in comparison to a human lived some thirty years back. In an internet survey I could find that a buddhist monk claims to be the happiest human of the world. It was accepted and acknowledged by many experts too. The reason for his claim to be happy is said to be the fact that he spends the whole time in meditation.
But as normal human beings we can not spend the whole day in meditation and contemplation in oder to be happy. We should work for the daily bread, take care of our family or remain in contact with some fellow humans in order that we continue to be social beings. We have our private and personal interests and affairs also . We ca not follow the path of this particular buddhist monk to become happy and blessed. Besides we are not sure whether this particular way of life would suit to us and make us happy.
But it is astonishing to know whom Jesus designated to be happy and who are happy people in the eyes of Jesus. In the beatitudes of the sermon on the mount to be „blessed“ means to be happy. Jesus names the poor in spirit, the mourning, the meek, the hungry and the thirsty for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted for righteousness, are the happy people. Jesus speaks of the reason also for these people to be happy.
These so-called characteristics are the characteristics of Jesus himself. That means in the beatitudes of Jesus, Jesus speaks about himself and invites us to follow his example to become happy. Jesus said elsewhere: „Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mt.11:28-30).
Jesus was the beacon of hope for the people of his time who cherished the dreams of a new world order with justice and freedom. The ideas of justice by the Jews and the concept of the world order by the Romans were unjust and exploiting. In this situation of injustice and exploitation of the week and the poor, Jesus took up the challenge to establish the reign of God with a new and a just vision of justice, peace and harmony, in view of a new world order of the people of God and the reign of God. The beatitudes of the sermon on the mount is the ‘magna carta‘ of the new world order of the reign of God showing the way of peace, justice and freedom. It was the dreams of a new world order with the natural and human laws, rules and regulations of the announced new world order.
Pope John Paul II said in one of his encyclicals that the beatitudes of Jesus is actually the autobiography of Jesus himself. Pope Benedict XVI says that each statement of the Beatitudes is realised in Jesus himself. He says: „Jesus is poor in the Holy Spirit. He is the one who came from among the poor. He is the one who strived for the justice for others. He is the one who donates and brings freedom. He is the one who suffered for the sake of truth“ (Pope Benedict, Glaube und Welt, Gespräch mit Seewald).
Jesus promises the reward for the poor, the mourning, the meek, the hungry and the thirsty, the merciful, the pure in the heart, the peacemakers and to the persecuted, which are happiness, blessedness, kingdom of God, comfort, inheritance of the earth, satisfaction, mercy, peace, vision of God and the status of the children of God.
All these promises we need today for the welfare of the world. All these promises include human and spiritual contents and messages. The beatitudes of Jesus are at the same time promises and at the same time demands, to be fulfilled in order to make us happy and blessed.
In oder to be able to live happy let us follow the path of Jesus and have a happy life. Let aspire and work for the new world order of Jesus. Let enjoy the rewards promised by Jesus to those who are happy.
Fr. Joseph Pandiappallil MCBS