Be happy

THE STORY is told about a lady who went to see a fortuneteller to ask advice about her love life. The fortuneteller said: "You have two suitors now. I don't know which one you will choose, but, according to my cards, the one who will marry you will be the lucky one, and the one who will not marry you will be... the blessed one!"

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Who is the lucky, and who is blessed in this world? Who is rich and who is poor? In today's Gospel (Lk. 6:17, 20-26) Jesus reveals a new kind of richness and a new kind of poverty in the Beatitudes. He gives hope for those who suffer now, and warning to those who are rich now. He shatters worldly standards, and gives us a new way of looking at ourselves and whatever situation we are in. In the Beatitudes, Jesus gives us a radical "paradigm-shift." If only the world listened to His formula, we would have a more peaceful, loving world.

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For the worldly, the Beatitudes don't make sense. The worldly want riches, laughter and fame now, not in the great beyond. "Enjoy, now!" is their battle cry. "Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you die, and that's it. Period." Therein lies the difference. For us Christians, death is not a period. It is only a comma. Life is not "wakasan," but "itutuloy." Are you living an epicurean life so focused on worldly comfort now?

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I have met a lot of people who are very rich, but are so unhappy. Money makes life easy and comfortable for them, but the same money makes them miserable and burdened. On the other hand, I have met a lot of poor and simple people who are so happy and free. So, what's the culprit? Money? Not necessarily. It is the heart. It is precisely how we look at things that determines whether we will be happy or sad. In the Beatitudes, the Lord gives us a new way of looking at things and life itself. Follow the Beatitudes, and you will be freed from the grip of riches or poverty.

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I experienced a touching moment last January 26 on my way to Pangasinan. At first I could not believe my eyes. I saw a child in Camiling, Tarlac doing her homework right on the sidewalk. This was about 8 p.m. I stopped and talked to her. Her name was Loriel, she was 10 years old, and in Grade 2. She was the eldest in a family of six. Her mother was beside her, carrying a four-month-old baby, selling balut. They get to go home at 2 a.m. every night. Loriel said she does her homework because she wants to take a secretarial course when she grows up, so that she can help her parents. My heart was crying as I listened to the poverty and the riches of this 10-year-old child. That night, I never bought so much balut in my life, and gave extra cash for Loriel. I plan to pass by again some time and I hope to bring enough money from friends willing to help this child make her wish come true.

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Rich or poor, if you don't feel happy in this life, maybe it is because these are lacking in your life, i.e., something to do, someone to love, something to hope for. If you are rich, and you are doing nothing worthwhile in life, you feel empty. If you have everything, but have no love in your heart, you are lonely. And if there is nothing to look forward to, then life is a dead-end street, hopeless, empty and boring. The choice is yours. Go back to the Beatitudes, and you will be truly happy.

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What is making me happy these days? It is the experience of sleeping in my room with another heart beating beside mine... I'm referring to my dog who sleeps in a chair beside my bed! My dog Toffie, a mini pinscher, has given so much joy to this 50-year-old bachelor. His welcoming presence warms my heart. His unconditional love for his master, and his faithfulness have brought me to many moments of reflection and prayer. His dependence on me has made me realize my dependence on God. Indeed, very little is needed in life to be happy. In fact, too much of anything can make us miserable.

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"What we have done for ourselves dies with us, but what we've done for others remains." The Beatitudes remind us again to look beyond. But the Beatitudes also remind us to be so present in the present. We all must be caught up in the "already" and the "not yet." The Beatitudes are our constant reminder to help us maintain a balance between now and eternity.

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"We earn a living by what we get, but we live a life by what we give to others." Do you feel that you don't have a life? Maybe it is because you are not giving much. The happiest people I've met in this life, rich or poor, are the ones who really know how to give, and who give even when no one knows.

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Got this text message from my friend Gus Uykim: "Life is meaningful if you have plenty of C.A.S.H., i.e. Charity, Affection, Sincerity and Humility." I wish all plenty of CASH!

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A moment with the Lord

Lord, help me to be happy with who I am and with what I have, what I already have and what I still have. Amen.