THE SOUGHT AFTER ILLUSIVE AND FLEETING EARTHLY “HAPPINESS”

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

THE SOUGHT AFTER ILLUSIVE AND FLEETING EARTHLY "HAPPINESS"

"And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He
was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and
taught them, saying:

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and
thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure of heart,
For they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted
For righteousness sake,
For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are you when they revile and
persecute you, and say all kinds of evil
against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice
and be exceedingly glad, for great is your
reward in heaven, for so they persecuted
the prophets who were before you"
[Matthew 5:1-11].

The Greek word "μακάριος" (makarios) is translated as "blessed," and/or "happy." The word "Beatitude" (Gk. "Makarismos") is translated as "a state of utmost bliss or happiness. There are some that have translated the Beatitudes as "Happy are the poor in spirit…" etc. However, the most accurate translation of the Holy Scripture is the word "blessed."

Christ’s Beatitudes clearly define true blessing and genuine happiness for all of mankind. The human race foolishly has sought happiness in such things as wealth, material things or objects, relationships, possessions, earthly power, physical beauty, travel, entertainment, athletic achievements, luxury, esteem from others, high office or positions in government or the corporate world, etc., however, people are eventually disappointed because all of the above fail to give us that which we seek and strive for. They may offer one some kind of personal satisfaction or instant gratification but not true and lasting happiness. True and lasting blessings, happiness, and joy can only be bestowed on us by God as is revealed by Christ’s Beatitudes.

A brief example of this was my personal experience with one of my wealthy parishioners many years ago. He was the owner of a bank, he had a prominent position in the city and was the president of the parish council. He was married and had a son and a daughter. He had a private plane and could travel anywhere he wished. He had many other profitable investments. He had cars, a beautiful house and boats. It was assumed that he had everything that anyone could want or desire. I also assumed this. However, one day when I visited the bank, I stopped at his luxurious office to greet him and, to my surprise, I found him to be emotionally distressed and sad. I asked him if he was ill or if something happened to one of his family members, but he responded that everyone was well. He requested that I sit down for a moment. He was practically in tears when he revealed to me that he was very unhappy. He said, "Father, I have been thinking and wondering if my wife and children are staying with me because they love me or because of my money or what they will inherit one day." Here was a man that had everything he wanted but was tormented by the idea that his wife and children had no real love for him. I offered him words of encouragement and told him that I would have him and his family in my prayers. Sadly, a year later his wife divorced him and his children abandoned him.

The Christian believer turns to our Almighty God and Savior Jesus Christ for true joy and lasting happiness. Our Merciful Lord says to us, "Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven" [Matthew 5:12]. We see vividly in the Holy Scripture, from the beginning to to the end, the Theotokos and His holy Apostles continually rejoicing in the salvation which Christ has given to the human race. In the Gospel of Saint John 15:11 He says, "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy remains in you, and that your joy may be full." Further on He says, "…your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you…ask and you will receive that your joy may be full" (John 16:22-24).

Orthodox Christians understand that divine joy is not earthly happiness, pleasure or entertainment. It is the joy that one feels in God’s unconditional love, it is joy in serving God through our fellow man, it is joy "in believing" [Romans 15:13), it is the joy in the joy of being made worthy to "share in Christ sufferings" (1 Peter 4:13), it is the joy of Christian Martyrdom. The holy Martyrs of our Christian Faith went into their martyrdom rejoicing and praising God. Therefore, spiritual joy is inseparable from suffering. One has to only read the Lives of the Saints of the Church to see how they suffered and at same time rejoiced during their horrific tortures, which they endured gladly for the sake of Christ.

No matter what a Christian experiences in life, he or she must never become despondent and depressed. Whether one is married or single, whether one has children or not, whether one is rich or poor, whether one is all alone or not, whether one possess worldly goods or not, whether one has a high office or not, know one thing, however, that as long as your faith in God is real and you first seek His divine joy, you will never be unhappy, distressed, or sad. People rely too much on others to find happiness. Happiness for many is transitory, conditional, and illusive. That is one of the reasons people are disappointed, hurt, and disillusioned. True happiness is found only in the Divine and spiritual blessings and God-given gifts.

If one is abandoned by relatives, friends, co-workers, or colleagues, don’t be surprised or devastated, but carry on with your life, believing always that Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will never abandon you. He is your best Friend and Who suffered and Who willingly died on the Cross to save you. He has prepared a special place for you in His Heavenly Kingdom. We must not forget that joy as an essential element of spiritual life, and one of the divine "fruits of the Holy Spirit" [Galatians 5:22). Do not be fooled by all the promises made on the various media to make you happy. Promising happiness today is big business. They attempt to convince and entice you to believe that their product will not only satisfy your appetite, but also give you abundant joy. Everyone seeks happiness, but everyone has a different concept of happiness and how to obtain it. The Orthodox Christian seeks the grace of God, where happiness is eternal.

____________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George