The Secret of True Happiness: A New Way of Living

Guest Post by Fr. Preble

This Sunday, we enter the heart of Jesus’ teaching as we begin a six-week journey through the Sermon on the Mount. St. Augustine famously noted that if anyone ponders this sermon with seriousness, they will discover the “perfect way to lead the Christian life.” This “New Law” is not merely a set of rules but a roadmap to the happiness every human heart craves.

The Paradox of the Beatitudes

In our Gospel, Jesus climbs the mountain, positioning himself as the New Moses, to deliver the Beatitudes. While the Old Law given on Mount Sinai focused on earthly blessings like wealth and fertility for obedience, Jesus offers a list of “paradoxical promises.”

To the world, happiness is found in power and self-sufficiency. Jesus turns this upside down. The Greek word used for “blessed,” makarios, literally means “happy.” Yet, he tells us that the secret to this happiness is found in:

• Poverty of Spirit: Recognizing our absolute dependence on God.
• Mourning: Lamenting sin and suffering, with hope in the comfort of the resurrection.
• Meekness: Responding to evil with gentleness rather than retaliation.
• Persecution: Finding joy even when slandered for the sake of righteousness.

These are not just ideals; they depict the “countenance of Jesus Christ.” He embodied every one of them, from his humble birth to his merciful forgiveness of those who crucified him.

God’s Choice of the Lowly

Our second reading from 1 Corinthians reinforces this “upside-down” kingdom. St. Paul reminds the early Christians—and us—that God rarely chooses the “wise,” “powerful,” or those of “noble birth” by worldly standards. Instead, God chose what is foolish and weak to shame the strong.

This is the “paradox of the cross.” Christianity is a “slave’s religion” because its founder took the form of a slave to bring salvation to all. As St. John Chrysostom pointed out, it wasn’t the elite philosophers who converted the world, but twelve humble men who had seen the risen Christ.

Our Universal Call

Every baptized person has a vocation (from the Latin vocationem, meaning “call”). This isn’t just for priests or religious sisters; it is a universal call to holiness. No matter your status or education, God has chosen you to be a member of the mystical Body of His Son.

This week, let us ask ourselves: Do I seek happiness in the things of the world, or do I trust in the “paradoxical promises” of Jesus? May we boast not in our own strength, but in the Lord.