Mt. 5:1-12a
“Agape, the love of each one of us for the other, from the closest to the furthest, is in fact the only way that Jesus has given us to find the way of salvation and the way of the beatitudes.” (Pope Francis) In today’s gospel, we see Jesus going up the mountain. In the book of Exodus, we see Moses go to Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments. Here, Jesus, the new Moses, gives beatitudes from the mountain to perfect the Ten Commandments. The first beatitude mentioned is: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ Jesus is not glorifying natural poverty, but rather praising Yahweh’s anawim. These are people who live a way of life marked by self-sacrifice on behalf of others, they would inherit the kingdom of heaven. ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.’ These people sympathize with their brethren, especially in times of distress and loss. Jesus assures us that their compassionate hearts will be rewarded. Blessed are the meek who patiently wait for the Lord; their hope will sustain them in their journey through life, and they will remain as signs of hope and consolation to everyone.
Those who hunger for justice by being the voice of the voiceless will be abundantly blessed for all their efforts to wipe the tears of their brethren and reach out to others. Blessed are those who are willing to become the face of God’s mercy. They will be blessed for their kindness. Those who seek the Lord with sincerity of heart will be gifted with a God experience. Those who are chosen to be instruments of peace will be called God’s sons. All those who face persecution and other forms of evil for the sake of Christ and his kingdom may appear to the world to have a tragic ending, but Christ said he would acknowledge such people before His Father, and great happiness awaits them.
In the first reading from the prophet Zephaniah, the Lord says, “I will live among you as a humble and lowly people.” When we abide by the beatitudes and take our lives forward, the world may laugh at us. We need to keep in mind the Lord’s words that we read in the second reading, taken from St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians: ‘God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the strong.’ God’s gift to humanity is the Beatitudes, which help us grow in holiness and perfection. As we reflect on these beatitudes, we may think, “Is it possible to practice these virtues in our concrete life situations?” Yes, it is difficult, but it is not impossible. We must make a deliberate decision to practice these beatitudes and grow in these virtues. It would enable us to transform our attitudes into beatitudes, and we would prepare a dwelling for the Lord in our lives. Let us be aware of these beatitudes and practice them in our day-to-day lives so that, step by step and little by little, we may grow in holiness.