Nov. 1, 2019: All Saints - How to be happy
Nov. 1, 2019: All Saints C
When we ask people, “What do you want most out of your life,” many would say, “I want to be happy.” God has placed in each human person the natural desire for happiness in order to draw us to God who alone can fulfill it. What must we do to be happy? Jesus who is the Way, the Truth, and Life, taught us how to lead a happy life through a series of lessons called the Sermon on the Mount, especially the Beatitudes. In it Our Lord teaches that true happiness is not found in riches or well-being, in fame, power, achievement, science, art, or in any creature, but in God alone. The Beatitudes are a roadmap given to us by Jesus, showing us how to follow his perfect example; Blessed Mother and the saints show us through their lives, how they lived according to the Beatitudes.
Take for example a homeless man named Benedict Joseph Labre. Starting at a young age of 16, he began to travel as a pilgrim from one church to another, living off of alms given by passerby, wearing nothing but rags of a beggar, and sharing his food with the poor. Blessed or happy are the poor in spirit, theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven, Our Lord said. When Benedict died, the priests of Rome preserved his filthy clothes as relics and buried him in one of the churches he loved. Today, he is the patron saint of the homeless.
Take another example, a mother who lost many of her children in infancy. While she dreaded having more children from the fear of losing them, she accepted children as the Lord provided, trusting in God’s will. Blessed or happy are those who mourn, for they will be comforted, Our Lord said. Her youngest child, Therese of Lisieux, would become one of the most beloved saints of our time. St. Zelie Martin and St. Louis Martin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, knew many sorrows in their life. However, their happiness was in loving God and neighbor through their marriage.
The canonized saints did not live perfect lives. As the saying goes, ‘Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.’ We can all relate to the fact that most of the saints faced significant challenges and periods of doubt. They were able to overcome these challenges through their trust in God who promised to be with them always.
One priest said, “Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” Holiness and happiness are fruits of our willingness to accept the will of God with joy. Mother Teresa echoed this sentiment, “Holiness does not consist in doing extraordinary things. It consists in accepting, with a smile, what Jesus sends us. It consists in accepting and following the will of God.” Happiness does not come from outside of us, from the things we possess or the group we belong to. Instead, our happiness comes from living the Beatitudes of Jesus. Our Lord said that if we come to him and bear the gentle yolk of the cross, he will give us eternal rest and happiness. Is there a particular saint whom we have been attracted to and whose life we want to emulate. Can we take some time today to learn more about how that saint lived the Beatitudes of Jesus?
When we ask people, “What do you want most out of your life,” many would say, “I want to be happy.” God has placed in each human person the natural desire for happiness in order to draw us to God who alone can fulfill it. What must we do to be happy? Jesus who is the Way, the Truth, and Life, taught us how to lead a happy life through a series of lessons called the Sermon on the Mount, especially the Beatitudes. In it Our Lord teaches that true happiness is not found in riches or well-being, in fame, power, achievement, science, art, or in any creature, but in God alone. The Beatitudes are a roadmap given to us by Jesus, showing us how to follow his perfect example; Blessed Mother and the saints show us through their lives, how they lived according to the Beatitudes.
Take for example a homeless man named Benedict Joseph Labre. Starting at a young age of 16, he began to travel as a pilgrim from one church to another, living off of alms given by passerby, wearing nothing but rags of a beggar, and sharing his food with the poor. Blessed or happy are the poor in spirit, theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven, Our Lord said. When Benedict died, the priests of Rome preserved his filthy clothes as relics and buried him in one of the churches he loved. Today, he is the patron saint of the homeless.
Take another example, a mother who lost many of her children in infancy. While she dreaded having more children from the fear of losing them, she accepted children as the Lord provided, trusting in God’s will. Blessed or happy are those who mourn, for they will be comforted, Our Lord said. Her youngest child, Therese of Lisieux, would become one of the most beloved saints of our time. St. Zelie Martin and St. Louis Martin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, knew many sorrows in their life. However, their happiness was in loving God and neighbor through their marriage.
The canonized saints did not live perfect lives. As the saying goes, ‘Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.’ We can all relate to the fact that most of the saints faced significant challenges and periods of doubt. They were able to overcome these challenges through their trust in God who promised to be with them always.
One priest said, “Joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day.” Holiness and happiness are fruits of our willingness to accept the will of God with joy. Mother Teresa echoed this sentiment, “Holiness does not consist in doing extraordinary things. It consists in accepting, with a smile, what Jesus sends us. It consists in accepting and following the will of God.” Happiness does not come from outside of us, from the things we possess or the group we belong to. Instead, our happiness comes from living the Beatitudes of Jesus. Our Lord said that if we come to him and bear the gentle yolk of the cross, he will give us eternal rest and happiness. Is there a particular saint whom we have been attracted to and whose life we want to emulate. Can we take some time today to learn more about how that saint lived the Beatitudes of Jesus?
