L.J. shares the following reflection on Sunday's reading from the Gospel according to Luke:
Many Christian mystics see our attachments as the fundamental reason for our unhappiness. Meister Eckhart says, “all suffering comes from attachment…if I suffer on account of transitory things, my heart still has attachment to and affection for transitory things.” We have happiness within us, waiting for us to realize it. Instead, we’re stuck on trivial ideas of what makes up a truly joyful existence. What do we do with our attachments?
There are things in our lives to which we look forward, and there are things to which we do not look forward. High school had its fair share of both experiences for me. I loved a lot of my classes: religion, history, English, and Spanish. I enjoyed lunch and study hall. I looked forward to all of them. Conversely, I hated the idea of gym class in high school. I never liked those days. Then, there were the tests, presentations, and all the homework. I did not look forward to any of that! There were days I felt happy, and there were days I felt sad. The problem was that I based my happiness on the presence or absence of certain experiences.
These basic contrasting experiences of anticipating things in life have not changed. I still do both. Additionally, I think we all do both. It is one example of how we are mistaken about the reality of happiness. Happiness has nothing to do with situations. In today’s Gospel story, a man asks Jesus, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” Is it too much of a stretch to see some self-interest in this question? He seems to be asking because he’s worried he may not be saved. It is a question reflecting a false attitude towards happiness: I'm happy when I get what I want. It reflects this false idea because this man thinks happiness is salvation and he wants to get it. Only, I suspect he is thinking of salvation on his own terms, not necessarily on God’s terms. We could see another false idea of happiness in the question. He wants the security of knowing he will be saved. Both ideas are examples of attachments, which are those things we think we need to be happy.
Many Christian mystics see our attachments as the fundamental reason for our unhappiness. Meister Eckhart says, “all suffering comes from attachment…if I suffer on account of transitory things, my heart still has attachment to and affection for transitory things.” We have happiness within us, waiting for us to realize it. Instead, we’re stuck on trivial ideas of what makes up a truly joyful existence. Happiness is neither getting what we want nor resting our security on anything (i.e., insurance, retirement plans, savings) other than God. John of the Cross says, “Freedom and joy cannot abide in a heart dominated by desires; We become as little as the things we love.” Attachments enslave besides robbing us of true joy.
The happiness of the Gospel comes through the image of a meal in today’s reading. “Reclining at table in the kingdom of God” is a symbol of heavenly joy. The meal is an audiovisual of Jesus’ message, which is about the joy of knowing God within and among all people. The kingdom of God is not a sad and somber affair but a festive party, a meal where people “from the east and the west and from the north and the south” are welcome. The joy of God is within all people, they have only to accept the invitation to the party. We have to RSVP. This takes some spiritual work.
Therefore, Jesus redirects the man’s question. He tells him to “strive to enter the narrow gate.” The word in Greek for “strive” also means “to train.” Striving to enter the narrow gate means spiritual training. It is the much-needed work of redirecting our attention away from our attachments and towards God. This has to be done often because our hearts stray often. In addition to returning heart and mind to the joy within, we also have to become aware of what keeps us unhappy. This is not a herculean task, nor is it out of our reach. This is interior training, therefore accessible and achievable.
The training Jesus teaches us is the way of the cross, which some mystics call the path of nothingness. The “last ones” are those who train with Jesus, and who walk the path of nothingness. Jesus also refers to them as the “poor in spirit.” John of the Cross says, “the poor in spirit are happier and more constant in the midst of want because they have placed their all in nothingness.” Putting our joy in the nothingness of God characterizes the way of the cross. This is the training Jesus and the mystics recommend. The last ones or the poor in spirit do not place their happiness in any thing. They place it in God who is Mystery beyond all being.