Happiness is a state of well-being and the highest goal of man. For this reason, people do a lot of things in order to be happy, only to discover that not everything bring lasting happiness. No wonder the restlessness and the continuous search for Happiness. But what actually constitute true happiness? What answer can we proffer to explain the experience of a wealthy man who is not happy or a poor man is who is happy?
On this 5th day of our Lenten observance the church celebrates the feast of the chair of St. Peter. Jesus calls Simon a happy man and changed his name to Peter: Why this? Is it because of a question well answered? These questions bothered my heart as I meditated on the word of God, but the Lord answered me as soon as I began to pray! If You wish to know His response listen attentively to what the word of God says in
Matthew 16, 13-19
When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi he put this question to his disciples, ‘Who do people say the Son of Man is?’ And they said, ‘Some say he is John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ ‘But you,’ he said ‘who do you say I am?’ Then Simon Peter spoke up, ‘You are the Christ,’ he said ‘the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Simon son of Jonah, you are a happy man! Because it was not flesh and blood that revealed this to you but my Father in heaven. So I now say to you: You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be considered loosed in heaven.’
POINTS FOR REFLECTION
1, Jesus calls Peter a happy man because of the evidence of the power of God at work in him and said: “not flesh and blood…but my father in heaven revealed this to you.” And he gives him a new name conferring to him a new Purpose or Mission or Destiny! Happiness is therefore a function of God’s grace. Hence the Bible says in the first psalm: “Happy indeed is the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked; nor lingers in the way of sinners nor sits in the company of scorners, but whose delight is the law of the Lord and who ponders his law, day and night.” For you to be happy, surrender all to God.
2. True happiness does not come from following the path of evil, but by delighting in the law of God contained in His Word and following Him consistently DAY and NIGHT. Our Understanding of Day and Night should transcend the literal meaning of these moments as duration of Time to the spiritual understanding of Day as MOMENTS OF CLARITY and Night as MOMENTS OF CONFUSION! We are more delighted in moments of clarity, isn’t it? We sense or feel the goodness of God in our lives, but feel awful in moments of confusions-when we experience dark nights in our souls.
TASK: As a catholic, true happiness also involves listening to the voice of Jesus the shepherd through the Holy Mother Church whose visible Head is the Pope, for she holds the keys to our eternal happiness in Heaven. As we celebrate that Petrine office- the chair of St. Peter, renew now your loyalty to the church by saying: I believe in the Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of Sin,, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting, Amen. Make it a point of duty to be happy always. God bless you.
