ARE WE HAPPY?

We should always make a conscious effort to always be happy. Sometimes we have this impression that being happy is just an emotion that pops up unknowingly but it should not be so. According to Rev. Ronald Rolheiser. OMI in his article in Tidings entitled, “Meaning and happiness”, these are not good questions to ask ourselves? They're questions with which to torture ourselves. When we face our lives honestly, this kind of question about happiness is more likely to bring tears to our eyes than solace to our souls because, no matter how well our lives are going, none of us live perfectly fulfilled lives. Always there are unfulfilled dreams. Always there are areas of frustration. Always there are tensions. Always there are deeper hungers that are being stifled. And always, as Karl Rahner so poignantly puts it, we are suffering the torment of the insufficiency of everything attainable as we are learning that, here in this life, there is no finished symphony. Our lives are always lived in quiet desperation. A lot of times it is not easy to feel happy.

But we are asking the wrong questions. The question should not be: Am I happy? Rather the questions should be: Is my life meaningful? Is there meaning in my life? Is there meaning in my marriage? Is there meaning in my family? Is there meaning in my job? Is there meaning inside my church?

We need to ask the deep questions about our lives in terms of meaning rather than in terms of happiness because, for the most part, we have a false, over-idealized and unrealistic concept of happiness.

We tend to equate happiness with two things: pleasure and lack of tension. Hence we fantasize that for us to be happy we would need to be in a situation within which we would be free of all the tensions that normally flood into our lives from: pressure, tiredness, interpersonal friction, physical pain, financial worry, disappointment in our jobs, frustration with our churches, frustration with our favorite sports teams, and every other headache and heartache that can appear.

Many people, including Jesus, suffered great pain but lived happy lives. Sadly, the reverse is also true. Happiness has a lot more to do with meaning than with pleasure.

Happiness, as it is superficially conceived of, means perfect health, perfectly fulfilled relationships, a perfect job, no anxiety or tension in life, no disappointments, and the time and money to enjoy the good life.

But that isn't what constitutes happiness. Meaning is what constitutes happiness and meaning isn't contingent upon pain and tension being absent from our lives.  Imagine if someone had come up to Jesus as he was dying on the cross and asked him the question: Are you happy up there? His answer, I am sure, would have been unequivocal: "No! And today in particular I am not happy!"

However, the perspective is quite different if, while on the cross, Jesus would have been asked this question: "Is there meaning in what you are doing up there?" There can be deep meaning in something even if there isn't happiness in the way we superficially conceive of that.

We more easily grasp this when we reflect back on various periods of our lives. Looking back from the perspective of where we are today, we see that, sometimes, certain periods of our lives that were fraught with all kinds of struggles (and within which we had to make do with very little) were indeed very happy times. We look back on them now with fondness and warmth. They were meaningful times and our present perspective washes back through time and purges the pain and highlights the joy.

Conversely, we can also look back on certain periods of our lives when there may have been pleasure in our lives, but that phase of our lives now appears clearly as an unhappy time. We look back at it with a certain heaviness and regret. What seemed like light then seems like a time of darkness now.

C.S. Lewis taught that happiness and unhappiness color backwards: If our lives end up happy, we realize that we have always been happy even through the trying times, just as if our lives end up unhappy we realize that we have always been unhappy, even during the pleasurable periods of our lives. Where we end up ultimately in terms of meaning will determine whether our lives have been happy or unhappy.

Many people, including Jesus, suffered great pain but lived happy lives. Sadly, the reverse is also true. Happiness has a lot more to do with meaning than with pleasure.

In his autobiography, “Surprised by Joy,” Lewis tells his readers that his journey to Christianity was not an easy one. By his own admission, he was "the most reluctant convert in the history of Christendom." But one of the things that ultimately brought him around to the Christianity was precisely the realization that meaning trumps our normal conception of happiness. He came to understand, he writes, that the harshness of God is kinder than the softness of man and God's compulsion is our liberation.

Money can't buy happiness. It can buy pleasure, but, as life itself eventually teaches us, pleasure is not necessarily happiness. –end of article- As we ponder on the deeper meaning of happiness may we find in our hearts a reason to always rejoice. Amen. Hallelujah!

Zechariah 9:9-109 Thus says the Lord: Rejoice heartily, O daughter Zion, shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem! See, your king shall come to you;...

There is really none like our God. We can have all the things that this world can offer but in the end we will still be wanting and not satisfied if we do not have God in the center of our life. The Lord has always been faithful and not a single moment would He ever not be. We should have the confidence always of a beloved child of God and the honor of being on top of God's creation. The Lord is always ready to extend His help and shower His blessings on us, His people. The question is, are we willing to accept His help and stay within the circle of His blessings? This question is very critical and sometimes left unanswered, neglected and taken for granted. When we choose to continue in the path that does not lead us closer to God the answer is clear, it is a no. When we direct our actions in things that draw us closer to God then it is a yes. If this is so true for us then we ought to do as the psalm reading today tells us. All our thoughts, words and actions should reflect how great our God is. As humans we tend to downplay God's role in our life because we subject our experiences to human terms and conditions. We are still bound by the limitations of this world we are in and we can't help it. We sometimes just go with the flow and get carried away by the pressures imposed to us by our present and existing situations. Our study of World History tells us of the different and various kinds of kingdoms and dynasties which ruled throughout the length of time. None of the most famous and powerful of these kingdoms still stand today and remain as influential to the entire world as it used to be. This tells us one thing that earthly kingdoms will eventually cease to exist. Only God's Kingdom prevails for eternity. Sometimes we might even have to come to a point when we look and sound strange  for others or even suffer the ridicule of not just others but the very people who comprise our circle of close family, relatives and friends. What matters most is that we ought to give God what He rightly deserves, to be extolled and praised forever. Today's psalm tells us that we owe God more than just plain courtesy for His goodness. Whenever we watch box office hit super hero movies, news about it spread like wildfire and the promotion for it is international that almost everybody around the globe gets to know about it and watch it. If only we can devote that same fervor and enthusiasm in spreading word about the greatest Super Hero of all times, Jesus and make a decision to watch His life unfold and be part of our own, then we can someday be a part of God's great Kingdom in Heaven. If we truly desire this then we should always be mindful of the words of God written in the bible since it is indeed what its acronym stands for which is B - basic I-instructions B-before L-leaving E-earth. It is very important that we have read and understood well what is written in the bible before we exit this world. This reminds me of the video games that my sons used to play. When they finish one level they have to enter into the next level which is more difficult and so on and so forth until they reach the ultimate task and win the final battle. It was like they needed to be well prepared and more skillful for each level. This somehow reminds us of how we should approach our final day here on earth. The gate of heaven has been opened and made accessible for us, there is no question about it but the question is, "Are we ready and able to go through it?" As in Eph. 6:13, "Therefore, put on the armor of God,  that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground." Another thing is we have no idea when will that day come because we really do not know the time or the hour. One thing for sure, the only way to go through it is by being well prepared for it. Thus I wanted to share this story which I got from an email.

Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives.

He loved the 4th wife the most and adored her with rich robes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always showing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day she would leave him for another.

He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant and was always kind, considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and she would help him get through the difficult times.

The King's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom. However, he did not love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her!

One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short. He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, I now have four wives with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone.'

Thus, he asked the 4th wife , 'I loved you the most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?'

'No way!', replied the 4th wife, and she walked away without another word.

Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his heart.

The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, 'I loved you all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?'

'No!', replied the 3rd wife. 'Life is too good! When you die, I'm going to remarry!'

His heart sank and turned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, 'I have always turned to you for help and you've always been there for me.

When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?'

'I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!', replied the 2nd wife. 'At the very most, I can only walk with you to your grave.'

Her answer struck him like a bolt of lightning, and the King was devastated.

Then a voice called out: 'I'll go with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go.'

The King looked up, and there was his first wife. She was very skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and neglect.

Greatly grieved, the King said, 'I should have taken much better care of you when I had the chance!'

In truth, we all have the 4 wives in our lives:

Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it will leave us when we die.

Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, it will all go to others.

Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how much they have been there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave.

And our 1st wife is our Soul. Often neglected in pursuit of wealth, power and pleasures of the world.

However, our Soul is the only thing that will follow us wherever we go. Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is the only part of us that will follow us to the throne of God and continue with us throughout Eternity. Amen. Hallelujah!

Psalm 145 : 1-2 , 8-9, 10-11, 13-14R: I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

10 Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. 11 Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might. (R) 12 Making known to men your might and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful in all his words and holy in all his works. 14 The LORD lifts up all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. (R)

The 2^nd reading for today clearly speaks of God's tremendous power manifested in the Spirit that dwells in us. Wow, we are heirs of God, it makes me think of rich families who leave vast properties to their heirs and people will always say how fortunate those people are being left with such an inheritance. In the same way we should realize the inheritance being handed over to us by God our Father. Every inheritance has its conditions and with God's we are all invited to live a life worthy of this inheritance. Everything comes with a choice, we have the power to choose and it all lies in our hands. No one can be held responsible for our actions other than ourselves. We should always take charge and be accountable and responsible for we have the power to live our lives in the way we want and choose it. We associate a lot of things to places where we live. How about associating things to ourselves by examining closely who lives in us. We are without a trace of any doubt as proclaimed in today's 2nd reading a dwelling place of God. Just like any other places where we can live, if the conditions are no longer favorable, or we are forced to relocate due to work reasons, buy a new house and move to a place where we can call our own and other reasons we can all think about when transferring to a new place to live. Sometimes we can use this analogy to ourselves as God's dwelling place. Are we trying our best to make feel God at home in our lives or are we driving Him away from us? For God is always the perfect gentleman and would never force Himself if we do not welcome Him the way we should. Let us be careful just as what sometimes happen when we may not be aware of it but we are already kicking Jesus out of our lives. He patiently waits for us to open the doors of our hearts.  We prevent God's miracles in our lives when we suppress it by our wrongdoings. Why not allow the Spirit of the Lord that dwells in us triumph, unchain the spirit and unleash its power to work in us. The 2nd reading assures the Christian community of a future of unending glory for all who have been loyal to God. The assurance of resurrection is nothing less than the spirit dwelling in us. We are released from the graves that we create for ourselves. The resurrection is the ground of our faith and basis for our hope. Let us be conscious and truly nurture God's spirit in us.

Amen. Hallelujah!

Romans 8:9, 11-13

Brothers and sisters: You are not in the flesh; on the contrary, you are in the spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through his Spirit that dwells in you. Consequently, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live...

As we continue the process of living, dying and the hope of resurrecting, we the church of God, the triumphant (angels and saints in heaven), militant (the living) and suffering (souls in purgatory) join forces in prayer in the hope that we will all someday be together in heaven. We can not deny the fact that we live in an imperfect world but in it also came forth a glorious array of men and women, the saints. I do believe that we can look after the example they left behind and ask at the same time their intercession in order for us to truly live the life of Jesus the way they did. The life of the Blessed Mother and the saints although they generally represent a life of sacrifice and sorrow from the world's point of view is in truth victorious and triumphant. You know why? I believe that they have learned the secret enclosed in today's gospel. By this time we may have experienced and witnessed a lot in life already to know that today's gospel is the best thing we ought to do. No one in this world can get away from problems and sorrow in life. Life here on earth is as imperfect as it is. We can not expect to live a life of perfect peace and happiness here on earth but we can surely make the best out of what we've got right here and now if we are to follow these words below in the gospel. There is really nowhere and no one else to go to but the Lord. We should have realized this by now if we have learned our lessons well. In times past when we have forgotten to surrender to God and depended more on our strength, skill and intelligence, we have seen the difference and the worst in the outcome of our actions. In whatever we do, for as long as we are not violating God's commands we must not forget to lift up everything to God in prayer and He will clearly show us the way. Why, because God said, come to me who you labor and heavily burdened… Our Lord looked at the people around fighting heavy battles, losing, carrying great burden and running out of strength. Sometimes life gets us down and causes us a tiredness of body and weariness of soul that no amount of sleep can rectify. On such occasions we hear Him say “Come to me let me help you carry your burden. Of course the problem with us is that we’re carrying burdens that we were never intended to carry. The burdens and the problems belong to Him. He is in charge of the world, not us. We can not solve problems on our own. We must realize that He alone can solve problems we could never solve. When Moses met God in the burning bush, Moses asked God “What is your name and whom shall I say sent me?” He said My name is “I am” not I was nor I will be but I am. God lives in the eternal now where it is neither past nor future. If we are going to realize that at this very moment God sees us not only at this lovely day He created but He sees us already dead, buried, judged and safely home with Him forever for the ecstasy that He has planned for us. He sees us now as we are worrying and fretting about a future that may never come. Moses told the Lord, who am I to go to pharaoh. But God was with Moses as He is with us. He said I shall be with you and He was with Moses, as He is with us, too. In the Angelus we say behold the handmaid of the Lord… These are the words of our Lady which she said and meant. Though, she has no idea what the Lord has in store for her, she allowed God to do what He has in store for her. Can we also say the same and mean it? God has a plan for us and that plan is filled with love. The Lord said I am meek and humble of heart. He has no ego problems like we have. We must realize that the most difficult problem is preoccupation with self. When we go into a room and try to impress everybody we come out and think how we fair in ourselves. We just have to let go. He wants us to work with Him in helping other human beings. The yoke is the 2 metal piece ring that links 2 animals.  It’s what happens to us when we give our help to the Lord, not what happens to whom we have helped. If we are blinded with selfishness we fail to accept the plan God has for us. Our desire to thank God is our gift and adds nothing to His greatness. Did we ever stop to think that the only thing that our Lord asks of us is humility. He said, learn of me for I am meek and humble of heart and you will find rest for your soul. But we listen so easily to the father of lies. We imagine to find joy in what we pray in flattery, in the applause of the crowd and in riches. But what is humility? What is this vague, ethereal, intangible, supernatural virtue? It is simply the truth. The truth shall set us free.  And the truth about us is that apart from God we are nothing. We have nothing, we can do nothing. We have a body but we can not control it. We do not know when it will die. We have a mind but the bursting of a tiny blood vessel will make us imbeciles forever. We have a heart that can love but at times we have no control over it. It is hard, cold and unresponsive to the needs of others. But there is a positive side about this which is beautifully described by Father Faber, in Frederick William the English poet who became a Catholic after Cardinal Newman. He said, “There are some thoughts which however old they are, are always new. Either because they are so broad that they are never thoroughly learned or because they are so intensely practical that their interest is always absorbing. And such thoughts are for the most part very common thoughts. They require no peculiar keenness of vision for no one can fail to perceive them. They are like the huge mountains visible to everybody on the plain below. Now among such thoughts we may reckon that thought which every child would know that God loves each one of us with a special love. This is one of the most common thoughts in our religion and yet when we come to look steadily at it we find it very hard to believe. God does look at us in the mass and the multitude as though we stand single and alone before His judgment seat one day but before the eye of His boundless love. This is our faith.  This is the faith in which we must live and die. St. Paul tells us in his letter to the Philippians that this mind be in us which was in Christ Jesus who although he is God emptied Himself taking the form of a servant (Philippians 2,6-11). Christ divested Himself of His dazzling beauty and glory and he was lost in the crowd and he was thought to be Mary’s boy and Joseph’s son. We are asked to empty ourselves of all that is false of all that is ignoble, all that is unreal so that we may become filled with Christ. Because nature abhors a vacuum and so does grace. We must be filled with something. Tragically we are filled with all kinds of desire, we want to be applauded, be promoted, we want to be consulted and we want to be loved. We want to be preferred to others. Look at all the fears that fill us that stifle us and paralyze us. We are afraid of sickness, growing old and of death. We are afraid of the thought of what comes after death. Don’t we remember Shakespeare, “To sleep for a chance to dream, what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil must give us pause to that undiscovered land from whose no traveler returned…” John the Baptist gave us our ideal, I must decrease and He must increase (John 3:30). All the foolishness, unreality, intolerance, the selfishness and all the sin that is in us must decrease so that we must fill the vacuum with our Lord who wants to share our life. He wants to be part of the trivia that make up our waking hours. Whatever happens to us happens to Him and He wants us to let Him share because only then will we find the rest that we pray. Things, places, circumstances and people are really interwoven by God in our lives in a very special way as if creating a wonderful picture and scenario. Like an intricate and beautiful artwork that is embroidered or woven into the fabric of our lives for us to witness, appreciate, get a message and draw inspiration and strength from. A long time ago St. Francis cried out loud, “He comes to His own today and receives Him not.” And so we live lives that are restless, confused, frustrated and unfulfilled because we do not share our lonely life with Him. So the prayer we learn as children that is said all over the world among Christians should be our prayer now, Oh Jesus meek and humble of heart make our hearts like unto Thine. Matters of the faith are very difficult to accept and understand for some people for they will always question and rationalize things. There are some things that can not be explained and we simply have to pray to God to reveal them in our hearts. This is why Jesus in today's gospel emphasized the importance of being like the little children. We, grown ups are always caught up in the cares and concerns of this world that we sometimes forget  who really is in charge of everything and tend to overpower God. The same way a child entrusts everything to his/her parents we, too should learn to trust that God our Father will take care of us. We can learn a lot from the children who are full of trust and confidence in their parents. If we will only learn the secret of the childlike then we can surely acquire the wisdom of God. If we always maintain in us a high level of confidence in God who is our loving Father then we are never far from achieving it. May we acquire the trusting attitude of the children and continue to discover the wonders of God’s love. As Catholics we have this great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus which symbolizes the great love of God. Our Catholic practices can be found in the bible. God has made a covenant with His people and has been fathering us in order to bring us together into His loved flock in heaven. The devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is widespread all throughout the world. We are body and soul and need the external festivities. We have to remember that it's one thing to celebrate feasts and it's another to live His great love and make it alive in our daily lives. It has to be more than a mere devotion and celebration. We encounter people who have a condescending and sneering attitude towards popular devotion of the Catholic Church and consider them as meaningless routines. We are reminded through these devotions that there is no material or event in our lives that can not be directed for the greater glory of God. Although sometimes we come to a point when these practices and devotions that lift us up simply become like magic and opium for our troubles and miseries. We fail to grasp the essence of these devotions and treat them like the hypocrites in prayer and the pagans with some superstitious beliefs. Some Catholics fall into the trap of looking at these as a never fail prayer. Sometimes there is a magical or manipulative misuse like an abracadabra. It should not predispose us to a ritualistic behavior and must not lead us down to the path of nowhere. Although the absence of it may appear as we are like those idealists that once saved we are always saved so there is no need for such devotions. We may fall into the dangerous scenario as if we are putting God to the test. These devotions should be a means of communication between God and His people. God is not telling us to do away with these things but rather do it with a sincere and repentant heart. It should blossom into a relationship that is pictured in today's gospel. God is continuously searching for us and wants to bring us together in a family of love. Our devotions should develop in us a confidence to draw near to God as He invites us in today’s gospel. We have only one Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. It will save us great pain and suffering if we follow and obey Him. There is no other way, truth and life but Him. It's inevitable that we travel through life and take the journey but to choose to travel with or without Him makes all the difference. It is the wisest thing to do if we choose to be with Him althroughout for His burden is easy and yoke is light. Be wise. Amen. Hallelujah!

Matthew 11:25-30

At that time Jesus exclaimed: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike... Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”