Beati qui ad cenam Agni vocati sunt!

This line from the Roman Rite of the Catholic Liturgy always seemed to resonate with me; sometimes for days. Happy are those who are called to the Feast of the Lamb! The phrase is normally translated this way. However, this translation does not do justice to the phrase; likely due to our modern usage of the word happy.

When most people use the word happy now, they usually me something else, like giddy, satiated, justified, content, glad, or pleased. In my opinion, Blessed is a better translation. After all, Beati is word that Christ uses in the Beatitudes and it is normally translated as Blessed.

What does it mean to be Blessed. The Merriam-Webster's Dictionary has a number of definitions, but all point to something more profound that happiness.

This leads me to an on-going discussion that I have been having with a co-worker. He says that happiness is, indeed, the object of human existence. I tend to agree. However, we disagree on this issue of what constitutes happiness. His contention is that it is a state of mind and one simply decides that they are happy and presto, they are.

On the contrary, I believe that all lesser forms of happiness, like satiety, sexual pleasure, aesthetic pleasure, etc. all lead to a an ultimate happiness that is found only in the highest good, which is the True God. In this regard, I agree with G.K. Chesterton when he said, ""A man knocking on the door of a brothel is knocking for God." Likewise, a recent song took a page out of St. Augustine's book and stated that "there's a God-shaped hole in all of us".

Temporary bits of happiness are breadcrumbs on the path to God, who left us a most visible piece of bread to lead us home to happiness. It is this "Bread and Wine" that nourishes us and leads to true, eternal happiness. I just amazes me that some (including my co-worker) see that those who seek only temporal pleasures and "happiness" usually end up with neither. Yet, the truly Happy and Blessed are called to a Feast that comes with it our own Crosses and, usually, pain and suffering. “Whoever wishes to come after Me, let Him deny Himself, take up His cross and follow me”, said Christ. It is only the truly happy who, like Saint Lawrence, said "Let my body be turned; one side is broiled enough."

"Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses it will save it."
Indeed, are those HAPPY who are called to the Lamb's Feast!!!
Happy Easter to All!!!
Feliz Pascua de Resurrecion a Todos!!!