Genuine happiness is found in keeping God’s commandments

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A, Divine Mercy Church, Karu, Abuja- 01.02.2026. Homily by Archbishop I. A. Kaigama

Readings: Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12–13; 1 Corinthians 1:26–31; Matthew 5:1–12

Theme: Genuine happiness is found in keeping God’s commandments

I thank God for the gift of you, the vibrant parishioners of Divine Mercy Pastoral Area, under the pastoral guidance of your priest-in-charge, Fr. Innocent Amanyi Omale, who took over from Fr. Primus Okon. Barely five years since your creation as a pastoral area, you have impressed me greatly by how far and how fast you have grown and continue to grow.

Today, seventy-five of your parishioners will receive the sacrament of confirmation and thus continue the work of evangelization. Your new parish house and office will also be blessed. Indeed, I must say, you are truly products of Divine Mercy and Divine Providence. May God’s mercy continue to abide with you and with all of us. I am greatly honored that you have received me as your shepherd who has come to listen, to encourage, and to strengthen your faith.

Today’s Gospel presents us with one of the most powerful and revolutionary teachings of Jesus: the Beatitudes. The word “Beatitude” which comes from the Latin “Beatitudo” means “happy” or “the state of blessedness” (blessed). The Beatitudes form the heart of the Sermon on the Mount, which begins with today’s Gospel.

Through the Beatitudes, Jesus has given us a blueprint for living an authentic life. He teaches us who is truly alive in the sight of God, unlike those who claim they are “enjoying life.”

Happiness is that which all people seek. All of us look for and desire happiness. We search for it in different things and places – in power, money, pleasure, fame, affluence, political dominance, and success. But many times, we fail, because we search for them in the wrong places. In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us a few tips on how to attain it, through the Beatitudes.

He reveals to us a new way of being human, a new scale of values, and a new understanding of what it means to be truly blessed and happy. Though, what He proclaims is deeply unsettling, it is the surest way to lasting and true happiness.

While the world says, “Blessed are the rich; blessed are the powerful; blessed are those who dominate; blessed are those who succeed at all costs,” Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit…; blessed are the meek…; blessed are the merciful…; blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness….” This is not a motivational speech; rather, it is a radical challenge to live out the Gospel we proclaim, even when it makes us unpopular according to the world’s standards. It is also a reminder, by
Jesus, that the powerless, and those struggling in poverty and misery, and other ordinary persons, are not left out or forgotten or disqualified in God’s plan.

In the first reading, the prophet Zephaniah speaks of a “humble and lowly people” whom the Lord will preserve. God does not build His kingdom on arrogance, oppression, or self-sufficiency, but on humility and trust. St. Paul reinforces this in the second reading when he reminds the Corinthians: “Not many of you were wise by human standards… not many were powerful” (1 Cor 1:26). Yet God chose them all the same. He chose them to bless them and to preserve their lives. God’s choice is not accidental; it is intentional. God does not choose the strong because they are strong; rather, He makes strong those whom He chooses and who choose Him.

The Beatitudes, therefore, reveal God’s logic, which is radically different from human logic. When Jesus says “blessed,” He does not mean being comfortable or problem-free. The word means “deeply fulfilled,” “living under God’s favour.” The poor in spirit are blessed, not because poverty is good, but because they recognize their need for God and their total dependence on Him. Those who mourn are blessed, not because suffering is pleasant, but because God does not abandon the broken-hearted. The meek are blessed, not because they are weak, but because they refuse to conquer by violence. The merciful are blessed, not because mercy is easy, but because mercy reflects the very heart of God, and those who show mercy will receive God’s mercy too.

By speaking of poverty of spirit, Jesus is not praising suffering; rather, He is proclaiming hope in the midst of it and how the Beatitudes define the identity of every baptized person. They are not optional virtues reserved for saints alone; they are the normal lifestyle of the Christian disciple.

In a world marked by corruption, injustice, violence, ethnic suspicion, and economic hardship, the Beatitudes speak with prophetic urgency. They remind us that peace cannot be built on hatred; development cannot be sustained without justice; leadership without humility becomes tyranny; and religion without mercy becomes hypocrisy and empty ritual. The Beatitudes challenge both the Church and society to become places where the poor are defended, the weak protected, and human dignity is respected.

Ultimately, the Beatitudes are not merely teachings; they are not abstract ideals; they are a portrait of Jesus Himself. He did not just preach them, He lived them. He was poor in spirit, completely trusting in the Father. He mourned over Jerusalem and over human suffering. He was meek before His accusers. He hungered for righteousness. He was merciful to sinners, the poor, and the needy. He made peace through the Cross. He was persecuted and killed for righteousness’ sake. To live the Beatitudes, therefore, is to become like Christ.
Often, some people argue that the Beatitudes are impractical ideals, that Jesus made extreme demands no one can fully live up to. But Jesus did not preach the Beatitudes as impossible ideals. On the contrary, He expected obedience from His disciples, because He Himself practiced what He preached. In the words of Carl Henry, “Jesus clothes the beatitudes with his own life.”

The Beatitudes do not promise an easy life, but they promise a meaningful one. They do not remove the Cross, but they show us how the Cross leads to resurrection. They do not claim that suffering is good. Rather, they offer us a pathway to holiness and authentic Christian living. This was why Jesus added the final Beatitude: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” He means that standing up for what is right often invites opposition, but Jesus assures us that those who endure persecution for righteousness are blessed, and of course, the kingdom of heaven is theirs. This is the path of the martyrs.
In conclusion, let me observe that happiness is made, not found.

May we not measure our lives by worldly success alone, but by our fidelity to Christ. And may the words of Jesus echo in our hearts, not as ideals beyond reach, but as a daily path of discipleship. In living the Beatitudes, we are not just following rules; we are being shaped into God’s likeness.

God bless you all, and may His peace be with you.