At the center of every human life is the quest for happiness and well-being. There are moments when we share collective happiness; for example, during the just concluded African Cup of Nations (AFCON), lovers of football vibrated with joy. The coming super bowl sport is certainly going to be great national event in the US. Such moments remind us that, even in the midst of difficulties, and uncertainties, we can rejoice together, even if it’s for a while. In this meditation, I suggest that we reflect on the topic of what the Bible calls Beatitude or Happiness.
Beatitude
Beatitude: Ordinarily “beatitude” is defined as “a state of utmost bliss.” Words like happiness, gladness, and blessedness, express the same idea, and state of being. In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us what it means to experience such state of being even in the midst of difficulties.
In today’s Gospel, (Luke 6:17, 20-26) two major things are very noticeable: firstly, beatitude is presented as a reality of both the present and the future. Secondly, in the same text we find the expression “woe to you….” So, what exactly is Jesus teaching us here? Is he glorifying poverty, weeping, and humiliation?
Hope in God
Jesus exhorts us to hope in God: By saying “blessed are you who are poor, hungry, afflicted, weeping, contempt”, Christ is not exalting poverty, hunger, weeping, contempt, (because we know he spent his whole earthly life, taking care of both spiritual and physical needs of all who came to him, cf. Acts of the Apostles, 10:38) but exhorting those who are experiencing these hardships today to have hope in God, because they are the people most preferred by God. Christ is telling us that when we experience such situations because of our faith, we should not back down, but rather look unto Him, and learn from His own life experiences.
Jesus lived a poor life and thus was able to be close to those excluded by the society of His time: sinners, prostitutes, lepers, blind, lame, and widows. The beatitude is above all Christ’s way of life from His birth to His resurrection. He shared our humanity and so understands very well all our human challenges and struggles.
The Responsorial Psalm expresses the same faith: “Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.” We put our hope in God when we understand and believe in the Resurrection. St. Paul says it clearly, if Christians do not believe in the Resurrection of Jesus, then we are the most pitiable people (Cf 1 Cor 15:12, 16-20).
A Lamentation
We read in Prophet Isaiah “cursed is the one who trusts in human beings, who seek his strength in the flesh, whose heart turns away from the Lord.” Jesus says also: “Woe to you who are rich, laugh, praised by all.” We should not see this as a threat from Jesus, but rather a lamentation. Jesus is lamenting on those who put their trust in their wealth and thus neglect God and fellow human beings. Jesus is lamenting on those who accumulate wealth, but who are not doing anything to make this world better, for more fraternity, justice, and peace. Since the beginning of this pandemic, we see that the poor are becoming poorer and the rich becoming richer. What a paradox.
The beatitude remains the summary of what our Christian life should be, our watch words, and our guide and inspiration of our thoughts and acts. Blessed are we when we reach out to the poor, and the less privileged. Blessed are we when we fight for justice when we promote peace by words and actions. Blessed are we when we refuse to be possessed by wealth, when we use what we have and are to serve God and humanity. I pray that we may grow in our knowledge of Christ and be renewed constantly in our hope by the power of His Resurrection.
