Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 6, 20-26
Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for the Kingdom of God is yours.
Blessed are you who are now hungry,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who are now weeping,
for you will laugh.
Blessed are you when people hate you,
and when they exclude and insult you,
and denounce your name as evil
on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!
Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.
For their ancestors treated the prophets
in the same way.
But woe to you who are rich,
for you have received your consolation.
But woe to you who are filled now,
for you will be hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will grieve and weep.
Woe to you when all speak well of you,
for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way.”
Blessed and happy
1. Raising his eyes. Imagine Jesus’s gaze today, imagine his tender gaze that embraces you. This is telling you that someone’s look says everything. Their look is what allows you to see if a person is lying to you or telling the truth. A person’s look is what makes you discern whether they are speaking to you from their heart or not. My mother used to say that if someone does not look you in the eyes when they are speaking to you, it is because they are hiding something. Jesus looks at you because what He is going to announce to you are the Beatitudes, the essentials for your happiness. I invite you to go back and re-read today’s Gospel.
2. Being Happy. God wants you to be happy, and you have a path that leads to that happiness. That road starts here on earth, during your life. You don’t have to die to begin to be happy! You start to build happiness right here, right now. But you don’t get that happiness from money, a house or a car, or alcohol or drugs. Happiness stems from tears, from resignation and even from exclusion by your own brother or sister. Be strong! I know what I’m saying sounds illogical, but I can assure you there are quite a few madmen who listened to Jesus and did pretty well, for example St Francis of Assisi. So, look for happiness, but true happiness. Happiness without tears is fake.
3. False prophets. Nowadays there are many false prophets around. There are dishonest prophets who promise you that with drugs life becomes more beautiful; pornographic prophets who promise you that with sexual satisfaction, life is prettier or easier; consumer prophets who make you believe that only with the latest gadget will you achieve full happiness. Instead of making you happier, they imprison your life in something that’s easy to get into but hard to get out of. Be truly happy. I want you to be happy, seriously. Even if we have met only through these biblical commentaries and not personally, I want you to be happy, I pray for you to be happy. Do you want to be happy? Don’t forget that something good is on the way!
God bless you, be with you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
