DAILY HOMILIES #happiness

Contentment is a decision; a decision to focus only on those things you are grateful for. It is ignoring your problems and praising God as though you had no problems. It is choosing to accept your life as it is knowing that God only permits what is best for you to happen to you.

Think about what Jesus is demanding from you and those times you actually followed this path only to find happiness rather unexpectedly. In summary, suffering makes us strong. This is what St. Paul teaches in the first reading today. His prayer for us is that should we ever suffer, may we also enjoy consolation at the end.

Jesus couldn’t have been lying when He said: “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” (John 15:10-11) Circumcise your heart. Clean it up. Take away from you whatever is indecent, immoral and in conflicting terms with God’s commandment and you will find true joy.

Sometimes, we behave as if we know what is best for us. We assume we know better than God who allows seemingly negative circumstances happen to us instead of us to just trust that God knows exactly what He is doing. Until you come to a realization that everything happens for a reason, you will find it hard to be grateful. Truth be told, within every unhappy person is ingratitude. If you cannot be thankful, then you cannot be happy.