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Not just blessed, but happy
Today’s gospel reading is John 13:16-20. I was struck by the following verse because I don’t think I’d ever read or heard it in the Jerusalem Bible translation:
After he had washed the feet of his disciples, Jesus said to them:
‘I tell you most solemnly,
no servant is greater than his master,
no messenger is greater than the man who sent him.
‘Now that you know this, happiness will be yours if you behave accordingly.
What struck me is the word “happiness”. In other translations the word is “blessed.” We will be blessed if we follow Jesus’ example and that means we must imitate the spirit of Jesus’ lifework (Jerome Biblical Commentary).
Now blessed I get — we follow Jesus, we will be blessed. But being “happy” is something different altogether. I wrote about happiness a while back but this verse from John casts the meaning in a new light.
Happiness doesn’t necessarily mean that everything is going as planned or that there is not struggle or tragedy or discomfort. Sometimes (many times) our happiness seems totally dependent on our circumstances and on our relationships. But here Jesus is telling us that our happiness resides in following Jesus, in imitating the spirit with which he went about his own life — humility, simplicity, zeal, kindness, love (even fierce love), faithfulness. The washing of feet is a beautiful example of the spirit of Jesus’ lifework. And to know that Jesus didn’t just do it as an educational moment, but that he genuinely felt happy about what he was doing. That’s something that I think we all want to cultivate in ourselves, a sense of happiness about not only what we are doing but who we are.
What strikes you about this passage on happiness?
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Sr Julie – A dear friend of mine is a priest who was many years ago accused of breaking his vow of celibacy (the claim was that he is gay and had a romantic liaison with an adult). He is a passionate man, raised from childhood in a devout family to be a priest, unusually bright and articulate, with a talent for dramatic teaching that is wonderful (at hard moments of my discernment, i have driven five hours for his Sunday morning mass! in his homilies he often moves around the church, placing himself immediately below the relevant Stations of the Cross, the Biblical images in the stained glass windows, and the Crucifix; he is rarely at the pulpit and he returns to it most often only to re-read a passage from the readings and scriptures, to remind us of the source of his teachings and comments). It is rare to get through one of his homilies without hearing someone gasp, “Oh Father ___” and then return to laughing. Most compelling for me is that he consistently humbles himself by using himself and his own rather obvious flaws (a temper, impatience) to teach; he is often his own example of the struggling follower of Jesus. He is also formidable because of that nakedness.
And he is a happy man.
His happiness, in the sense to which the above Gospel reading refers, became most clearn to me when he told me this: the accusation that he had broken vow happened when he was a young assistant pastor. It was resolved as false fairly quickly but not, of course, before the rumors were everywhere (and this at the height of the abuse scandals). The first Holy Week after that trial (figuratively and literally used), the priest asked my friend to chose the parishioners whose feet he would wash. He named the man who had been most active in accusing him. He was asked if he was sure and he said, “of course not” but went ahead with his plan. My friend’s family say that that act of public humility and service to a man who had made every effort to “take his priesthood”relieved, both soon and quite visibly, this impatient, hot-tempered, ferociously acute priest of all the internal and external unrest wrought by the accusations.
His happiness returned to him. Not when he was cleared. Not when he was believed. Not when he was “right”. Not when his priesthood was again secure. His happiness returned when he acted with the spirit of Jesus.
Blows my little mind.
Such a lovely post! The word “happiness” is surely something we should all consider very carefully. I mean – I do feel Blessed (every single day in His light!) but happiness is, as you sp rightly point out, different.
To me it explains that happiness is something very different from what the secular world sometimes tell us. It’s a simple feelig, coming frmo the simplest things – namely being good to your servant as well as to your masters. And it is so true. If we act on the spirit of Christ than happiness is ours, that genuine feeling that makes you so warm inside. Praise God!
Sr. Julie:
I’m ready to run out the door but I wanted to e-mail you something quickly. I can’t seem to find your e-mail address. It’s about a very cute commercial including a nun in it. It’s an image one rarely finds. Please give me your e-mail address. Thanks. dee
What strikes me is that happiness = bless sounds an awful lot like bliss.
The bliss of Christ.
Honest to God, this is one of those days where my cup truly does runneth over.
*happy bliss dance*
The washing of feet is a beautiful example of the spirit of Jesus’ lifework. And to know that Jesus didn’t just do it as an educational moment, but that he genuinely felt happy about what he was doing. What a wonderful insight! Thank you for that, Sister Julie.
My only quibble is that I would call such a state of blessedness “joy” and not “happiness.” Joy transcends the pluses and minuses of life. I see happiness as depending on those pluses and minuses.
Barbara — I think I would have tended to agree with you about the “joy” v. “happiness” definition but there is something about “happy” (especially how it’s used in this translation) that seems to be transcendent too. Maybe it’s just semantics, but it’s something that makes me think.
Good ol’ Jerusalem Bible! This translation of the text sound SO much like Francis of Assisi! He was always exhorting his brothers that perfect joy is found in doing the most menial tasks in love.