What makes a person truly happy? It is one of the simplest questions we can ask, and yet one of the hardest to answer well. Most of us would begin with things that are familiar and good: family and friendship, love given and received, moments of peace, laughter shared, or the quiet satisfaction of having done something worthwhile. Happiness, we usually assume, is what makes life feel complete.

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And yet, experience teaches us that happiness is fragile. The very things that give us joy can be taken away. Circumstances change, health fails, relationships strain, and successes fade. Even pleasures that once delighted us can lose their power to satisfy when we depend upon them too heavily. Many people sense this and feel restless – always searching, always hoping for something more, without being quite sure what that “more” is meant to be.

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This restlessness is not a sign of failure. It is part of being human. Saint Augustine understood this deeply. He described the human heart as restless until it rests in God. We long for happiness because we long for fulfilment, and that fulfilment cannot be found in things that pass away. When we try to fill our lives with what does not last, we are left dissatisfied, however pleasant those things may
seem for a time.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks directly to this longing. Sitting on the hillside, he proclaims the Beatitudes – words that are familiar, yet always challenging. They do not describe happiness as the absence of difficulty or suffering. Instead, they overturn our assumptions about what leads to a fulfilled life. Jesus does not deny the reality of pain, poverty, grief, or persecution. Rather, he reveals that these experiences do not have the final word.

Several of the Beatitudes confront the false promises we are tempted to believe. Possessions, Jesus tells us, cannot secure happiness – “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Pleasure alone cannot satisfy the heart – “Blessed are those who mourn.” Power and control do not lead to fulfilment – “Blessed are the meek.” Even success and recognition fail us – “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you.” These are not condemnations of wealth, enjoyment, or achievement, but reminders that none of them can bear the weight of our deepest hopes. 

Alongside this, Jesus sets out a positive and demanding vision of happiness. True happiness is found in mercy – in hearts shaped by compassion and forgiveness. It is found in purity of heart – not a narrow moralism, but a single-minded focus on what is good and true. It is found in those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, who want justice and goodness more than comfort. And it is
found in peacemakers, those who refuse to let resentment or hatred shape their lives. This vision of happiness is demanding because it asks us to love as God loves. It requires patience, humility, and trust. It often involves sacrifice, and it may not be rewarded by applause or success. Yet it is precisely this way of life that leads to joy which endures. Happiness, in the Gospel sense, is not a feeling that comes and goes. It is the fruit of living in right relationship with God and with others. The Beatitudes are not simply ideals placed beyond our reach. They are the pattern of Jesus’ own life. He is merciful, gentle, pure of heart, and a maker of peace. He accepts suffering without bitterness and gives himself without reserve. In him, we see that happiness and holiness are not rivals, but companions.

This truth has been echoed throughout the life of the Church. Pope Francis teaches that the Beatitudes are God’s answer to the desire for happiness written into every human heart. They show us the way Jesus lived, and the way we are invited to live, with the help of his grace. They are not a burden laid upon us, but a promise held out to us.To live the Beatitudes is not to escape the
difficulties of life, but to discover that even within them, God is present. True happiness does not come from avoiding suffering at all costs, but from knowing that our lives are held within God’s loving purpose.

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