The Happiest People

Letting the Church lead us to happiness

09/18/2019

Luke 7:31-35 Jesus said to the crowds: "To what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, 'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.' For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, 'He is possessed by a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

I like to say that Catholic schools help students to get to Harvard and also to Heaven. But I should add a third “H” besides Harvard and Heaven, and say: “Catholic schools also help students to be happy.” All activities of Catholic schools is aimed at the target of the happiness of their students. I know this will sound a little arrogant to say but the Church claims to have the corner on human happiness better than anyone else. Pope St. Paul VI coined this felicitous phrase: “the Church is an expert in humanity,” which is another way of saying the Church is an “expert in human happiness.” All humans desire happiness. Just look at all us priests and nuns, don’t we look like the happiest people on earth? Well, looks can be deceiving; we really are the happiest people on earth.

In the first reading, St. Peter – the first pope – said something similar to what the 262nd pope, St. Paul VI said: “The Church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of truth.” And what “truth” was Peter talking about? The truth we are all most interested in, namely, what makes people happy? In other words, the Church, the pillar and foundation of truth, knows better than anyone what makes you and me happy.

Now, the hard part about happiness is that the Church is not the only one who claims to have the corner on human happiness. Every commercial you see says the same thing: each one is selling happiness. Buy these 3-cigarettes because they will make you happy. You have to get this new phone because it will surely make your happy. You have to vacation at this beach or go to this amusement park, because only here will you be truly and fully happy. Behind every commercial is the hope of happiness.

And what the unspoken implication if you don’t buy these things? You will be unhappy. This is what Jesus means when he says the children of this generation are like children who play the flute and try to make people happy, and sing dirges and make people sad. The modern world, typified in modern commercials, claims to know what causes human happiness (and sadness). But John the Baptist and Jesus were not buying the happiness they were selling, and they were two of the happiest people on the earth.

Today I want you to think about two questions: (1) What will make you happy? And (2) who can tell you what will make you happy? At the end of the day, we all have a choice to make: do I believe the Church, established by Jesus as the pillar and foundation of truth, or do I believe the world, who play the flute and sing dirges, to lead me to happiness? Pope St. Paul VI said the Church is an expert in happiness. But every commercial claims the same corner on human happiness. You are free to choose to follow whomever you want to make you happy. Just remember one thing: looks can be deceiving.

Praised be Jesus Christ!