Philippians 2:1-4 / Luke 14:12-14
In its most basic meaning, happiness is defined as an emotion that is generally associated with behaviours like laughter and smiles and maybe even a bit euphoric.
Usually happiness is generated when we experience good luck and good fortune and a good outcome, and hence the corresponding behaviour.
So what brings out the happiness in us is when we have something nice happening to us. But when something nice happens to others, will we also be just as happy?
In the 1st reading, St. Paul tells the Philippians that the one thing that will make him completely happy is when they are united in their convictions and united in their love, with a common purpose and a common mind.
For St. Paul, his happiness lies more in whatever good that happens to others, than in whatever good that happens to him.
The gospel also has the same message when Jesus told His host, one of the leading Pharisees that a man is fortunate when people can't repay him back for whatever good he had given them.
Unfortunately, that is not our idea of happiness. For whatever good we do unto others, we want it back and maybe more than we give.
We would be happier still when we are constantly on the receiving end of every good thing that we want to happen to us.
But are we determined by what happens to us? Or are we who we choose to become?
May we choose to be happy for others when good things happen to them, and be even more happy for them when they grow in virtue and in goodness.
In doing so, we have already chosen to be a happy person.