Today's Reflections
The Beatitudes
Mt 5:1-12a
1When he saw the crowds, [Jesus] went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. 2He began to teach them, saying:
3“Blessed are the poor in spirit,/ for theirs is the kingdom of heaven./ 4Blessed are they who mourn,/ for they will be comforted./ 5Blessed are the meek,/ for they will inherit the land./ 6Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,/ for they will be satisfied./ 7Blessed are the merciful,/ for they will be shown mercy./
8Blessed are the clean of heart,/ for they will see God./ 9Blessed are the peacemakers,/ for they will be called children of God./ 10Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,/ for theirs is the kingdom of heaven./ 11Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”
YOUR REWARD WILL BE GREAT IN HEAVEN. On this solemnity of All Saints, the Gospel does not tell us who the saints are but describes a program for holiness.
The
Beatitudes, at the beginning of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, proclaim
who belong to God’s kingdom: the poor in spirit, the mournful, the meek,
those hungry and thirsty for righteousness, the merciful, the clean of
heart, the peace-loving, and the persecuted. They are all blessed
because God in his grace and loving mercy has chosen to be on their
side.
If
we wish to be saints, that is, to be in the number of the blessed, we
will do well to help alleviate the plight of the poor, to console
brothers and sisters crushed by loss and fear, to empower others, to
commit ourselves to justice for all, to extend to others the mercy we
have received from God, to see God in others, to work for peace, and to
be faithful to God even in persecution.
Do you know people who are shaping their lives according to the Beatitudes?
They are saints, among the blessed,
on the way to living forever with God.
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