Gusto ko happy ka

Listening to the Spirit

“O Lord, the spirit of poverty is such a great treasure! When we possess it, we rely not on human means, but we place all our trust in Your divine Providence. I beg You to give me a great love for this precious treasure. It is so noble that it has You, O sovereign God.”

Listening to the Word

Mt 5:1–12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peace-makers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”

Reflection

Gusto ko happy ka. These words were said to me by a boy who has down syndrome before I celebrated the daily mass in his parish. Everyone wants to be happy. Even seminarians mentioned this reason to enter and to leave the Formation House (“Masaya ako dito Father” or “Hindi na po ako masaya dito Father.”) What is happiness? Where can we find true happiness? Who can give us genuine happiness?

The January 2023 edition of TIME Magazine talks about Happiness. According to the author Angela Haupt, “The meaning of happiness is to some extent, subjective. But nearly every expert we surveyed emphasized the same cocktail of ingredients: a sense of control and autonomy over one’s life, being guided by meaning and purpose, and connecting with others. And they largely agreed that happiness can be measured, strengthened, and taught”. Experts in that article were divided on whether happiness can be bought. As one expert said, “money cannot buy happiness, but it can buy many things that contribute mightily to it;” though they were divided on this aspect, they were united to conclude that “meditation, practicing compassion, gratitude and altruism are tools to increase happiness.”

The “experts of happiness” in this world give “prescriptions” of how to be happy that give partial or superficial happiness. Jesus instead in the gospel of this Sunday shows us 8 ways leading to genuine happiness. One of those ways (or tips) is to be poor in spirit. William Barclay defines the poor in spirit in this way: “Blessed is the man who has realized his own utter helplessness and has put his whole trust in God.” In short, people who are poor in spirit are detached from things and attached to God. Happiness - defined by a person who is poor in spirit - does not come from what we have but from what we are. “Gusto ko happy ka”; “Gusto ko attached ka kay God”.