Q. Do the words ‘Blessed’ and ‘Happy’ mean the same thing when the priest says, “Blessed [or Happy] are those called to the supper of the Lamb”?
A. In terms of the rubrics for the Mass, my understanding is that, although the Latin term Beati can be translated as “Happy,” the Church has chosen to render it as “Blessed” in English, and so a priest should remain with that decision.
From a strictly biblical perspective, however, the short answer to your question is yes, ‘Blessed’ and ‘Happy’ mean essentially the same thing in the Bible. In fact, they are variant translations of the same Hebrew and Greek words. (Technically, both languages have two words for ‘blessed’, but we are focusing here on the one in question.)
‘Blessed’ in most English versions translates the Hebrew word ’ashre and the Greek word makarios. This latter word is identical to the one that famously introduces each of the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:2-12. In its verb form, this is the word we hear from the lips of our Blessed (!) Mother: “For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed” (Luke 1:48).
Some form of this word occurs more than 150 times in the Bible. In its wider biblical usage, makarios signifies a state or pronouncement of being blessed, happy, privileged, favored, or fortunate. So prominent is this word in Psalms, for example, that it strikes a kind of thematic note which gets to the heart of what that book is all about. In fact, this is the very first word in the Psalter: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night” (1:1)––almost as if to say, “Lucky him!” or “Now there’s a person everyone should want to be like!” It’s a pronouncement of ultimate, genuine happiness—the longing of every human heart.
Like so much of the Mass liturgy, “Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb” is a direct quotation from Scripture. It recalls the moving scene in Revelation 19, where a heavenly messenger charges John to write the words: “Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb,” since, as the angelic figure continues, “These are the true words of God” (v. 9). Hearing that, John falls at the feet of this emissary but is stopped in his tracks: “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God” (v. 10).
When we hear the word ‘Blessed’ in the Communion Rite, we should let it register with all the semantic impact it is intended to convey, with an effect similar to John’s. It should move us to fall on our faces in worship. Even if we’ve heard these words a thousand times, each new mention should be a moment of profound significance: “Blessed [truly happy, most fortunate, most privileged] are those called to the supper of the Lamb,” of which the Eucharistic meal is a foretaste. No invitation to any other banquet with any other person in the world can compare with that! And so, in wonder do we respond, “Lord, I am not worthy.”
Truly, having our name on the invite list makes us the luckiest of all people, against which every other good fortune in life pales in comparison. To the extent that this is not the case with us, it’s worth pondering: What might possibly have distracted our gaze or distorted our values or dulled our spiritual sensitivities, that we should ever pursue true blessedness in any other path or by any other criteria than in being invited as unworthy but beloved guests to the banquet of the Lamb? Life doesn’t get any better than this. To think otherwise is an illusion, and a prompt for repentance and recalibration.
This question was answered by Dr. Vern Steiner, president emeritus of the Emmaus Institute for Biblical Studies. For more information, visit www.emmausinstitute.net.
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