The Morning Psalm
Greek word

Makarios

blessed; deeply happy; flourishing

Say mak-AR-ee-os

Makarios is the word Jesus repeats at the start of the Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are the poor in spirit... blessed are they that mourn. It means blessed, but also deeply happy or flourishing — a settled well-being that comes from God's favour rather than from favourable circumstances.

What makes the Beatitudes so startling is who Jesus calls makarios: the poor, the mourning, the meek, the persecuted. This is a happiness the world cannot see and cannot give — the flourishing of those who belong to God's kingdom, whatever their outward state. Makarios is the good life redefined: not the absence of trouble, but the presence and favour of God.

Makarios in Scripture

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 5:3, KJV