Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. - Matthew 5:4

The Gospel merely tells us the eight Beatitudes or rather, the BE HAPPY ATTITUDES, as I like to call it. First of all, what is happiness and what is the basis of being happy? Happiness, according to the internet, is a mental or emotional state of well-being defined by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Some may look at wealth and power as their basis of happiness but no, that’s not it. Happiness is so much more than that. So much more than what the eyes can see. We have all been happy one way or another even if we don’t admit it. Happiness radiates through us when we carry a cheerful face with a cheerful smile.

Jesus tells us to be happy in the simple things even in the midst of suffering, pain and confusion. Yes, it is easier said than done but once more it was never easy to die on the cross. Am I right?

You see, God simply asks us to be happy. Be happy and contented. We complain and complain about a lot of things and we fail to see that we should actually be happy. Be happy that we are alive. Be happy that we can afford things that we want and need. Be happy even if we are SUFFERING.

I know it seems hard and all but we should be happy and even thankful. Why? It’s because we get to share in Jesus’ suffering  and that is quite a great privilege. Even in the midst of suffering from a loss, we should be happy. Yes, even in the midst of loss. Easier said than done, huh? I know..

Recently, I have a friend who died but you know what? I can really see the beautitude, “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.” There are a lot who are mourning for the loss of their friend, sister, classmate, batchmate, daughter but you know what? I can see them smiling even in the midst of actually suffering that loss inside.

The lesson here is that you can always find comfort in God. Yes, we can’t understand why He actually takes someone we love but then again, we should be happy and think about it, she must have had a really clean/pure heart because she already saw God. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God and indeed she did see Him.

Yes, losses are never easy to accept and come by but we will learn to find comfort in the most unlikely ways or people we least suspect. I’m sure that for those who knew her, it’s hard but we know that she won’t want us to be sad and she would want us to be happy because she’s in a better place now.

It’s the same thing for anyone who has experienced a loss because even if we can’t help but cry because of the pain, we also can’t help but smile because we find comfort knowing that they wouldn’t want us to be sad.

In this time, a lot of people are dying but there are even more people who are left behind mourning and who get to find comfort in Him. We run to different kinds of people who we find comfort but the person who can give us the greatest comfort of all is God and we all know that. God sent us those people who can give us comfort and although we do not realize it but He is the one moving inside them and giving us the greatest comfort of all which is to know that the person we love is going to be with Him in Paradise.

Basically, it is okay to cry. It is okay to be weak. It is okay to be vulnerable because He will always be there to give us comfort. He won’t let us fall. But in that time we learn to fall to our knees and call on to Him to give us strength and as I have said, He will give us the greatest comfort.

It will not be easy but when we fall to our knees, He will hold our hands together in prayer and He will never ever let us go because He loves us. He will make us feel more love than the pain and loss we feel. His love is greater than all of this worldly pain. We just have to call on to Him and believe in Him and we will be alright. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

-Ianna Palabyab