Fr Barker said that in preparing his presentation, he asked a number of his Facebook friends to detail what made them happy.
He then invited attendees to detail their views on what made them happy.
Interestingly enough, no one cited material possessions as being the cause of happiness whereas a common theme among many answers was the happiness that comes from being in a relationship whether this is being part of a family or friendship group or being part of a church in particular or a larger community in general.
In his presentation, Fr Barker provided the following references about happiness:
Seeing the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and when He sat down His disciples came to Him. And He opened His mouth and taught them saying: "blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you." ~ Matthew 5:1-12a
Looking at His disciples, He said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God. Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in Heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will weep. Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets." ~ Luke 6:20-26
Fr Barker also pointed to the fact that Pope Francis talks a lot about joy and he urged attendees to read the Joy Of The Gospel which contains seven challenges from Pope Francis.
This document can be found at: The Joy Of The Gospel
The document also details 50 ways to live the joy of the Gospel.
He concluded his presentation by saying that while there are differences between happiness and joy – because the latter is spiritual.
“While happiness can change from time to time, joy comes from the knowledge that salvation is permanently on offer to us.
“This should lift us up and help us lift up others around us,” he added
Pints With A Purpose is held on the first Monday night of each month at the Northern Hotel in Hamilton. It is aimed at encouraging adults, particularly those between 18-35, to listen to guest speakers – both religious and lay – and to encourage thoughtful discussion and a deeper understanding of the Catholic faith.
The writer of this article wishes he was aged between 18 and 35!
