4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

February 1, 2026

The values of the Kingdom are different from the values of the world.

Matthew 5:1-12a (Jerusalem Bible)

Seeing the crowds, he went onto the mountain. And when he was seated his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them: How blessed are the poor in spirit: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs. Blessed are the gentle: they shall have the earth as inheritance. Blessed are those who mourn: they shall be comforted. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for uprightness: they shall have their fill. Blessed are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them. Blessed are the pure in heart: they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be recognised as children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs. Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecute the prophets before you.

REFLECTIONS

First Impressions by Jude Siciliano, O.P.

Zeph: 2:3, 3:12-13; Ps 146; 1 Corinthians 1: 26-31; Matthew 5: 1-12a

If you or I were God, wouldn’t we choose prime candidates, the best we could find, to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to the world? In our second reading from 1 Corinthians Paul takes an honest, even blunt, look at God is chosen. “Consider your own calling….” Then he reminds those Corinthian Christians of their standing in the eyes of the world. They were not, “wise by human standings, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.” Indeed, he says, God chose the “foolish… the weak… the lowly and despised of the world.” It might sound like a putdown of the Corinthians, and us moderns Christians as well. It is not a rebuke, but a revelation. In effect, God’s ways of working do not match human expectations. God chooses the weak to reveal where true strength lies. God shows the limits of worldly wisdom by offering us the saving wisdom of Christ. Our world has its own ways of ranking people’s worth. We are obsessed with what a person earns, possesses, or achieves. We tend to ask about someone’s resume, education, title, visibility and success. Paul contradicts the standards used by the world, showing us that God does not rely on our high ranking in society to save us. By choosing the “foolish,” “weak,” and “lowly,” no one can boast. We do not have to prove our worth to receive God’s gift of Jesus. We do not save ourselves, no matter how much we think we have merited before God. So, with Paul’s insights we realize that life with God is a given, not earned. Paul lays out the Christian life for us. He shows God has redefined what it means to be wise, powerful and blessed. Wisdom looks like the cross. Power is self-giving and Glory looks like humility. What then can we possibly boast about? Paul states it quite clearly, “Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord.” This is not false humility on our part, but the truth. Our lives, service, our very faith are rooted in God’s initiative. God chooses to work through us by our availability, faithfulness and a willingness to let Christ be everything for us. God has made the first move towards us, and we are invited to respond. How? First of all, by giving thanks at this offering – our Eucharist. Paul and Matthew speak with one voice today. God’s kingdom reverses the world’s values. Paul reminds the community that God chose those who are not impressive by the world’s standards: the foolish… the weak… the lowly and despised of the world. Jesus proclaims poetically on the hillside what Paul teaches theologically. Those Paul identifies are exactly the people Jesus looks out on in his sermon, calling them blessed: the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, those who mourn, those who hunger for righteousness and those who are persecuted. Neither Paul nor Jesus romanticize suffering, or insignificance. Both reveal how God draws near to those who have little to claim for themselves or boast about. They are not the powerful; they do not have upper status or significance in the world. Instead, they are signs and reminders that God draws close to those who know their need and do not rely on power, status or self- sufficiency. Jesus’ Beatitudes describe people whose lives are open to God because their focus is not on themselves. These are the exact people Paul says God delights in choosing. First Corinthians and our gospel invite us to re-examine what we admire and pursue in our lives. They portray what is contrary to the world, which blesses the successful, secure and admired. The evangelists remind us: if we are to boast at all, we must boast not in ourselves, but in the God who lifts up the lowly and makes them heirs of the kingdom. In light of the message today’s Scriptures convey what might daily life in our parish look like? If we honestly believe that God works through what the world calls weak, or unimpressive, then our parish must reflect that belief. So, we should value quiet faithfulness over visibility; service over recognition; collaboration over competition. Those who faithfully visit the sick, staff the food pantry, serve as lectors, prepare the liturgy, teach the young, clean the church etc. may be living the Beatitudes more fully than the one with the loudest voice, or highest profile. What about ourselves? In light of what Jesus and Paul are teaching we need to let go of the desire for recognition, or affirmation of our contributions. Tensions arise, even in parish communities! We are invited to respond not with defensiveness or pride, but with meekness, mercy and hunger for justice. Paul reminds us: “Whoever boasts should boast in the Lord.

Quotable

“The Beatitudes are the portrait of Christ and the path of Christian life.” —Pope Francis, General Audience, January 29, 2020.

Justice Bulletin Board by Barbara Molinari Quinby, MPS, Director Office of Human Life, Dignity, and Justice Ministries Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, Raleigh, NC

“Blessed are the…” —Matthew :1-12A

I have heard this litany so frequently that sometimes it just washes over me. So, I decided to re-read what the Church teaches about this scripture in order to have some fresh understanding from God’s perspective of justice. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) provides an opening reflection in its very title about this subject, “Our Vocation to Beatitude.” That is a correct reading. The word, beatitude, is singular… and we have a vocation to it. “The Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching” (CCC 1716) as they “reveal the goal of human existence, the ultimate end of human acts: God calls us to his own beatitude” (CCC 1719). And what is God’s own beatitude to which we are called? To be “blessed” (from the Latin beatus) means to be happy, not in a self-serving way but, in a joyful contentedness knowing that we are loved. Here in lies the challenge and this scripture tells us how we are to respond in order to be blessed, to be happy… right here… right now. Back in the Jubilee Year 2000, the U.S. Catholic Bishops wrote eloquently in their message titled, Because God Loves You “Because God loves you, you can care for the weak, remove injustices, alleviate poverty, annihilate oppression, and restore righteousness in our world. The love of God in you gives you strength to defend the unborn, support the elderly, and lift the hearts of those without hope. God’s grace in you helps you to see that in every person beats a heart yearning to be loved. Because God loves you, you have the power to touch hearts with compassion, heal wounds in those around you, and act selflessly.” “The beatitude we are promised, confronts us with decisive moral choices” (CCC 1723). Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake. The Beatitudes constitute a countercultural truth. But when this truth has been followed, it has changed our world. Commitments to elevate the lowly, protect the vulnerable, include the excluded, and provide for those in need lifts everyone and changes the course of history as the arc bends toward justice.

Faith Book
Mini-reflections on the Sunday scripture readings designed for persons on the run. “Faith Book” is also brief enough to be posted in the Sunday parish bulletins people take home.

From today’s Gospel reading: Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.

Reflection: People of faith, inspired by the Beatitudes, have a different way of looking at life. Living our “beatitude calling” is difficult, but we know God stands with us and, in our daily lives, help us put flesh on the Beatitudes. Even as we try, stumble and try again to live the Beatitudes, we hear Jesus’ reassurance, “You are already blessed.”

So, we ask ourselves: Concretely how do we experience the opposition of others because of our faith? What gives us strength to continue to live out that faith despite the obstacles we face?

Postcards to Death Row Inmates

“One has to strongly affirm that condemnation to the death penalty is an inhuman measure that humiliates personal dignity, in whatever form it is carried out.” —Pope Francis

Inmates on death row are the most forgotten people in the prison system. Each week I am posting in this space several inmates’ names and locations. I invite you to write a postcard to one or more of them to let them know that: we have not forgotten them; are praying for them and their families; or whatever personal encouragement you might like to give them. If the inmate responds, you might consider becoming pen pals.

Please write to: Women on Death Row
Blanche Moore #0288088 (On death row since 11/16/1990)
Carlette Parker #0311386 4/1/1999)
North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women
1034 Bragg St, Raleigh, NC 27610

Commentary on the Beatitudes

Matthew 5:3: Blessed are the Poor in Spirit: “Blessed (Greek: makarioi) are the poor (Greek: ptochoi) in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”  “Blessed (makarioi) are the poor (ptochoi) in spirit” (v. 3a). God began the Ten Commandments with a grace note—a reminder that God brought the Israelites out of slavery. The first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:2), is foundational in the sense that the person who is unfaithful to the first commandment will have little inclination to honor any commandment, but the person who is faithful to the first commandment will try to honor them all. In like manner, Jesus begins the Beatitudes with the grace note of blessings, and the first beatitude is as foundational as was the first commandment. The poor in spirit, those who stand in total dependence before God, are also disposed to mourn for a Godless world—and to approach others in a spirit of gentleness—and to hunger and thirst for righteousness—and so forth. Ptochoi means abject poverty. True poverty is a cruel thing. It breaks people. They suffer. Confronted daily with their own helplessness, they know the difference that even a small act of mercy can make. They watch eagerly for a gesture or a glance that might promise help. They long for a bit of kindness. They crave a bit of dignity. Standing before God, the poor in spirit are like that. They know that they bring nothing in their hands that God needs and nothing in their hearts that compels God to accept them. They bring their poverty, hoping for sustenance. They bring their brokenness, hoping for mending. They bring their sin, hoping to receive forgiveness. They bring their grief, hoping to be comforted. They bring their illness, hoping to be healed. They do not come bargaining, because they have nothing to offer. Their ptochoi—poverty of spirit—has broken them, making them fertile soil to receive God’s blessing. Jesus says, “a rich man will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven with difficulty” (19:23). God pulls us Godward, but wealth and power pull us inward. The greater our wealth, the more we love it—the more we trust it—the less we feel the need for God’s help—the more prideful we are as we come into God’s presence—and therefore the less likely to receive God’s salvation. And yet, when the disciples ask, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus answers, “For men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (19:25-26). We must take care, therefore, not to canonize the poor or to demonize the rich. There are poor people who are wicked to the bone and wealthy people who are generous to a fault. It is the heart rather than the pocketbook that matters to God. “for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” (v. 3b). In beatitudes 2-7 (vv. 4-9), the promise is future—”will”. In beatitudes 1, 8, and 9 (vv. 3, 10 and 11), the promise is present—”is”. The poor in spirit (v. 3) and those who are persecuted (vv. 10-11) possess the blessing now.

Matthew 5:4. Blessed are those who mourn: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Greek: paraklethesontai) “Blessed are those who mourn” (v. 4a). This beatitude finds its roots in Isaiah 61:1-2 where God anoints a person “to bind up the brokenhearted… (and) to comfort all who mourn.” The setting was Jerusalem. The Jewish people had just returned from their lengthy exile. While God made it possible for them to rebuild Jerusalem, he had not made it easy. Local people opposed the rebuilding of the temple, and the project ground to a halt (Ezra 4; Nehemiah 4-5). The Jews were mourning the devastation—and the disobedience of the earlier generation that had brought about the destruction of Jerusalem and their long exile. Tom Long tells of a television commercial that shows windblown litter and cast-off garbage alongside a highway. Then the camera pans to the face of a Native American. “As he looks solemnly upon the spoiled landscape, a tear falls from his eye, his grief marking the distance between the world as it is and the world as it should be” (Long 48-49). That image captures perfectly the grief of the Godly mournful who live in a world despoiled by sin. The promise is that “they shall be comforted” (paraklethesontai) (v. 4b). This Greek word is related to the word parakletos (Holy Spirit) that is usually translated Counselor or Comforter in the Gospel of John (14:26). The Paraclete is a helper or comforter in times of need. The person of faith grieves for the world as it is now but not for the world as it shall be. The person of faith lives under the promise that the kingdom will come and that God will make things right. The person of faith will be comforted in the future when God sets things right, but is also comforted in the present by God’s promise of it.

Matthew 5:5. Blessed are the gentle: “Blessed are the gentle, (Greek: preis—from praus) for they shall inherit the earth.”  “Blessed are the gentle” (v. 5a). The word “gentle” (“meek” in some translations) suggests a timidity that Jesus did not intend to convey. To understand this beatitude, we must look to the original Hebrew and Greek words in context. Jesus quotes Psalm 37:11. In that Psalm, the faithful have lost their land to the wicked, but the Psalmist assures them that the wicked “shall soon be cut down like the grass” (v. 2). He calls them to “Trust in Yahweh, and do good. Dwell in the land, and enjoy safe pasture” (v. 3). He promises, “For yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more…. But the humble shall inherit the land, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace” (vv. 10-11). This Psalm promises vindication for those who are faithful in adversity. Their land will be restored, not by their own strength, but as an inheritance from God. The Hebrew word translated “humble” in Psalm 37 (translated “meek” in many translations) is anawim. Anawim is used to describe Moses: “Now the man Moses was very anawim, more so than anyone else on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3). Moses demonstrates his anawim at the burning bush. He is afraid to look at God (Exodus 3:6). He protests, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh?” (Exodus 3:11). He says, “Behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice” (Exodus 4:1). Finally, in desperation, he says, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, …for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue” (Exodus 4:10). BUT, humble though he might be in God’s presence, Moses is hardly timid when he appears before Pharaoh. He does not hesitate to act, even though his actions bring about plagues to devastate the Egyptians. His gentleness resurfaces when the Israelites make the golden calf and Moses pleads to God for their lives (Exodus 32:11-14). On that occasion he is not timid even in God’s presence, but argues persuasively that God should spare the people. His heart is gentle toward Israelites who face God’s wrath. But then he breaks the tablets in anger when he finds the people dancing at the foot of the mountain. He forces the Israelites to grind the golden calf to dust, mix it with water, and drink it—effectively converting gold to dung. He was anawim, but hardly weak or indecisive. The Greek in the Beatitudes is praus. Jesus describes himself as “praus and lowly in heart” (11:29). Matthew describes Jesus as a king, “praus, and mounted on a donkey” (21:5). Jesus models praus at his trial, where he refuses to defend himself. He is poised and in control, but he refuses to make claims for himself or to mount a defense. However, we can hardly call Jesus weak or timid. He upends moneychangers’ tables and uses a whip to drive animals from the temple. He lashes Pharisees with his tongue. He exercises authority over illness and demons. He teaches with authority. Hardly meek as we usually think of meek! If Moses and Jesus are models of anawim and praus, their behavior suggests the true meaning of these words. Neither Moses nor Jesus was ambitious in the pursuit of personal enrichment. Both, however, were forceful when upholding a principle or protecting the vulnerable. We might conclude, then, that anawim and praus should be translated “not self-seeking,” rather than “meek.” But more important still was the source of their strength. Both Moses and Jesus knew themselves to be working, not by human strength, but by the power of God. Such a person can work quietly—confidently—certain that they, with God’s help, will prevail. “for they shall inherit the earth” (v. 5b). The surprise is that the praus will inherit the earth. We assume that God will give them heaven, but Jesus promises them earth. The word, “inherit,” is the clue. God gives them the inheritance as a gift—a gift that they could never win for themselves.

Matthew 5:6. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.”  The words “hunger and thirst” mean less to affluent First World Christians today than to the people of Jesus’ time. When we are hungry, we eat. When we are thirsty, we drink. We refrigerate water to cool it and food to preserve it. We shop in supermarkets stacked high with foods flown fresh from the four corners of the world. In restaurants we order food one minute and receive it the next. We are less likely to express wonder at this abundance than to express frustration when the system fails to work perfectly. When someone asks if we are hungry, they mean only “Are you sufficiently hungry to eat now if I put food on the table?” It was very different in Jesus’ day. People seldom ate meat and were often hungry—sometimes starving. Hunger and thirst are compelling! A hungry person can think of little but food! A thirsty person can think of little but water! To hunger and thirst is to be totally focused. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness” (v. 6a). Blessed are those who are totally focused on righteousness! Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for personal holiness! Blessed are those who ache to live in a world where people live in right relationships! Blessed are those who long for the kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven! “for they shall be filled” (v. 6b). God will give them that for which they long! Their dreams will come true! And when their dreams come true, the dreams will not be hollow, as realized dreams so often are. They will not find life still empty! They will not be at loose ends! They will not ache for more!  “They shall be FILLED!” What a promise!

Matthew 5:7. Blessed are the merciful: “Blessed are the merciful (Greek: eleemones), for they will obtain mercy.” “Blessed are the merciful” (eleemones) (v. 7a). The word translated “mercy” is eleemones, which begins with sympathy but then moves to action. Jesus pronounces a blessing on the person who feels the other person’s pain and takes action to relieve it. Jesus promises, “for they shall obtain mercy” (v. 7b). When we examine this Gospel further, we will discover that mercy-receiving is dependent on mercy-giving. Only those who show mercy can expect God to show them mercy.

• In this Gospel, Jesus teaches us to pray, “Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors” (6:12).

• He twice quotes Hosea 6:6, which calls for mercy rather than sacrifice (9:13; 12:7).

• He gives the parable of the unforgiving servant, with its condemnation of the person who fails the mercy test (18:21-35).

• He condemns the scribes and Pharisees for scrupulous attention to tithing while neglecting the weightier matters of justice, mercy, and faith (23:23).

If it is true that the merciful will receive mercy, it is also true that those who have received mercy are more inclined to give mercy. Having needed mercy, they can sympathize with those who need mercy. In that sense, mercy is cyclical, so the question is how to jump-start the mercy-cycle. God did that by loving us when we were yet sinners (Romans 5:6-8). Having shown us mercy, Christ sends us into the world to keep mercy alive.

Matthew 5:8. Blessed are the pure in heart: “Blessed are the pure (Greek: katharoi) in heart, for they shall see God.” Jesus adapts Psalm 24:3-4: “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts.” “Blessed are the pure (katharoi) in heart” (v. 8a).  Katharos, the Greek word for purity, has two meanings that are similar but different:

• It means clean—not dirty. Jesus warns, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies” (15:19), and blesses the pure heart that is unsullied by these evils.

• It also means unadulterated—unalloyed—not mixed with foreign substances. The pure heart is devoted completely to God. It finds a treasure in a field and sells all that he has to buy the field. It sells all that it has to buy the one pearl of great value (13:44-46). The person with a pure heart does not just claim to have faith, but possesses the kind of unwavering faith that leads to faithful living. The opposite of the pure heart is the divided heart. A divided heart will try to serve two masters, only to end up hating the one and loving the other. Jesus warns, “You cannot serve both God and Mammon” (6:24). James says, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded” (James 4:8). “for they shall see God” (v. 8b). The promise that the pure in heart will see God is a fitting reward for the devoted servant of God. C. S. Lewis notes: “We are afraid that Heaven is a bribe, and that if we make it our goal we shall no longer be disinterested. It is not so. Heaven offers nothing that a mercenary soul can desire. It is safe to tell the pure in heart that they shall see God, for only the pure in heart want to” (C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain).

Matthew 5:9. Blessed are the peacemakers: “Blessed are the peacemakers, (Greek: eirenopoioi—from eirene) for they shall be called children (huios—sons) of God.” “Blessed are the peacemakers” (eirenopoioi—from eirene).  Eirene is the Greek word for peace, and Matthew recorded the Beatitudes in Greek. Jesus, however, spoke Aramaic, a form of Hebrew. The Hebrew word is shalom, and it is to that word that we go to understand this beatitude. Shalom is more than the absence of strife; it is the presence of harmony and brotherhood. Jesus pronounces blessings, not on those who avoid confrontation, but on those who make peace. The avoidance of confrontation may simply allow evil to rampage unfettered. The making of peace, paradoxically, may involve force. Two examples:

• Hitler killed six million Jews and caused the deaths of millions more. Chamberlain’s appeasement simply whetted Hitler’s appetite. Allied soldiers carrying rifles were necessary to drive Hitler’s soldiers from countries that they had enslaved—to liberate prisoners from Hitler’s death camps—to establish peace.

• During the civil rights upheaval of the 1960s, a member of my congregation criticized Martin Luther King for causing trouble. He said that trouble followed King wherever he went, proving that King must be a troublemaker. It was difficult for him to understand that King might be a peacemaker rather than a troublemaker—and that the true evil might lie on the side of the segregationists.

“…for they shall be called children (huios—sons) of God” (v. 9b). The title, “sons of God” or “children of God,” is high praise. These peacemakers will share God’s character, because God is the ultimate peacemaker. John promises, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him” (1 John 3:2).

Matthew 5:10. Blessed are those who have been persecuted: “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”  “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake” (v. 10a). Early Christians were persecuted for a variety of reasons. Jews, Saul among them, persecuted Christians as heretics. Jews and Romans accused Christians of immoral practices. The words of the Last Supper, “This is my body…. This is my blood,” led to charges of cannibalism. The Agape (Love Feast) and the kiss of peace led to charges of sexual immorality. Apocalyptic literature led to charges of sedition. Christian refusal proclaim, “Caesar is Lord,” led to charges of treason (Barclay, 108-110). At the time that this Gospel was written, Christians were being persecuted. This Gospel helped them to put that persecution into perspective. Jesus offers a blessing, not to all who are persecuted, but for “those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” If we experience persecution, we must ask whether it is because we have been righteousness or simply obnoxious. It is wise to invite the church’s counsel in such matters, because it is difficult for us to be objective regarding our own behavior. Still, it is clear that, when opposed, evil will use every trick in the book to win the day. True righteousness invites persecution. Jesus says that such righteousness also ends in blessings. Note the parallel between “for righteousness’ sake” (v. 10) and “for my sake” (v. 11). The promise is that “theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” (v. 10b). Again, this repeats the promise of verse 3.

Matthew 5:11-12. Blessed are you when people reproach you: “Blessed are you when people reproach you and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great (Greek: polys) is your reward (Greek: misthos) in heaven, for that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” “Blessed are you” (v. 11a). Jesus changes the form of the beatitude to address his listeners directly. The “you” is plural, suggesting that Jesus is directing this blessing at the community of faith (the church) rather than an individual. “…when people reproach you and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake” (v. 11b). The Christian can expect opponents of the Gospel to use every weapon at their disposal: Ridicule (using humor as mockery)—persecution (physical or mental torture—even murder)—and slander (false accusations). Often, these weapons appear to defeat the Christian, but God continues to work in the hearts of those who witness the faith of the Christian in adversity. For instance, there have been a number of accounts of churches springing up spontaneously in the wake of a missionary’s death. Persecution was no academic matter for the church of Matthew’s day. Here Jesus puts their suffering in context by linking it to the great prophets. The prophets’ faithful proclamation brought them persecution. A recent example was John the Baptist, beheaded for opposing Herod’s marriage to his brother’s wife. The penultimate example was Jesus. The church cannot expect to be immune from suffering if it opposes evil, but it can expect to be blessed. “Rejoice (chairo) and be exceedingly glad” (agalliao) (v. 12a).  Chairo and agalliao are two words that mean rejoice. Agalliao is the stronger of the two and means “to leap for joy” or “to rejoice with song and dance.” We could translate this verse, “Rejoice and leap for joy!” “for great (polys—much or many) is your reward (misthos) in heaven” (v. 12b). The word misthos is sometimes used to refer to wages—compensation for work—quid pro quo. For instance, Paul says, “Now to one who works, wages (misthos) are not reckoned as a gift but as something due” (Romans 4:4). In 1 Timothy 5:18, he quotes Deuteronomy 25:4: “You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain”—and then adds, “the worker is worthy of his reward” (misthos). But most frequently in the New Testament, misthos refers to spiritual rewards received for faithful discipleship. For instance, Jesus says, “Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward(misthos); and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward(misthos) of the righteous” (Matthew 10:41). Paul says that our spiritual work will be tested by fire on the Day of the Lord, and then adds, “If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward” (misthos) (1 Corinthians 3:14). In verse 5:12a, Jesus promises persecuted disciples a heavenly reward. Heaven is the dwelling place of God, the angels, and those who are faithful. A heavenly existence is both present and future. Those who have accepted Christ have received the Holy Spirit and have begun their heavenly citizenship—a citizenship that will continue through time and eternity. While heavenly rewards are not always apparent in life as we know it, they are nevertheless present. I have known countless Christians who have borne illness, grief, and other hardships with grace. They have relied on God for strength and comfort, and have often become pillars of strength and comfort for others who are less afflicted. These faithful Christians have already received a portion of their heavenly reward. But Jesus surely intends us to understand that our heavenly reward is not limited to this life but will extend into the life to come. Jesus doesn’t tell us exactly what the heavenly rewards will be, but says only that they will be great (polys)—many or much. “for that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (v. 12c). Who did Jesus have in mind?

• King Nebuchadnezzar threatened Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego with death (Daniel 3).

• King Ahab and his wife, Jezebel, sought to kill Elijah (1 King 19).

• King Jehoiakim killed Uriah (Jeremiah 26) and beat and imprisoned Jeremiah (Jeremiah 32, 37-38).

• Antoichus IV Ephiphanes profaned the Jerusalem temple and persecuted Jews (Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; 1-2 Maccabees).

Persecution of the early church began soon after its founding at Pentecost. The high priests and Sadducees arrested apostles, imprisoned them, tried to intimidate them, and had them flogged (Acts 5:17-42). The council had Stephen stoned (Acts 754 – 8:1). Saul persecuted the church (Acts 8:1-3), and Jews plotted to kill him after he became a Christian (Acts 9:23-25). A number of Roman emperors required their subjects to worship them—and persecuted Christians who refused to do so. Persecution of Christians is widespread in the world today. John Allen, CNN’s senior Vatican analyst and a senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter noted that “80 percent of all acts of religious discrimination in the world today are directed at Christians. According to the Pew Forum in Washington, Christians face some form of harassment in 137 nations, two-thirds of all countries on earth.” Allen cites another study that claims that “an average of 100,000 Christians have been killed for the faith each year for the past 10 years” (John L. Allen, Jr., “The Pope’s Four Biggest Challenges,” CNN, March 17, 2013). In the past, Communists were the main offenders, but today Muslim extremists are responsible for most persecution. While Jesus promised blessings to Christians who are persecuted for his sake, we should not assume a passive posture when it comes to the persecution of our Christian brothers and sisters. We need to pray for them and keep their names before our congregations. We need to provide persecuted Christians with financial support. We need to demand that our government use its influence to stop the persecution of Christians.

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB), a public domain (no copyright) modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version (ASV) of the Bible, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament. The ASV, which is also in the public domain due to expired copyrights, was a very good translation, but included many archaic words (hast, shineth, etc.), which the web has updated.

From Living Space, a Service of the Irish Jesuits

Sermon on the Mount

Today we begin reading from Matthew’s gospel and will continue to do so for several weeks to come. We begin with chapter 5 and the Sermon on the Mount. In reading Matthew’s gospel we need to remember that it was directed primarily at a readership with a Jewish background and in this it differs greatly from Mark. One of Matthew’s aims is to present Jesus as the new Moses, transcending but not putting aside the law given to the Israelites by the first Moses. And, as the law of Moses is contained in what we call the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible, so the law or teaching of Jesus is presented uniquely in this gospel by five long discourses. The first of these is the Sermon on the Mount and it consists mainly of the qualities which are expected of a follower of the new Law and the new Moses, Jesus. It begins with what we call the Eight Beatitudes. It could be said that these have been greatly under-rated in the life of the Christian churches, Catholic and otherwise. Most people tend to see the centre of Christian living in the Ten Commandments and yet they really belong to the Hebrew Testament, they are part of that Law which the coming of Jesus did not nullify but transcended. They are, of course, still valid as moral guidelines but, in many ways, they fall far short of what is presented by Jesus in the Beatitudes. It would seem, in fact, that Matthew is presenting the Beatitudes as taking over the role of the Commandments and this is indicated by the prominent place they have in forming the opening of the first discourse. They are, as it were, a manifesto of Jesus’ message and his call to see the world in his way. They express the necessary attitudes of those who belong to the Kingdom. Those who have these attitudes already have entered that Kingdom. Perhaps a few words about the ‘Kingdom’ are in order. In many ways, Matthew’s gospel can be called ‘a Gospel of the Kingdom’. The phrase that Matthew consistently uses, however, is ‘Kingdom of heaven’. For many people this can be misleading because it causes them to think that Jesus is talking about the next life, our life in ‘heaven’. So that the Beatitudes are interpreted as conditions to be observed by those who want to go to heaven after they die. This, I believe, would be a serious misreading of the text. Matthew uses the term ‘kingdom of heaven’ because, mindful of the Jewish background of his readers, he does not like to mention the name of God directly. He uses other circumlocutions in the course of his gospel to get around using God’s name. As when he has Jesus say, “Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them.” By using the passive in the second half of the statement, he avoids mentioning the Doer, God. The other gospels have no hesitation in talking about the ‘Kingdom of God’ and that is what Matthew also means. What is this kingdom? It is not a place. The Greek word basileia(basileia) is an abstract word which means ‘kingship’ or ‘reign’ rather than ‘kingdom’, which suggests a territory. ‘Kingship’ or ‘reign’ on the contrary suggests power. To belong to the Kingdom or Kingship of God, then, is to put oneself fully, consciously and deliberately under the power of God, to experience that power and be empowered by it. That power is above all the power of agape-love. When we say in the Lord’s Prayer, “Your Kingdom come”, we are not talking about a future life after death but praying that people everywhere put themselves under the loving power of God. That is made clear by the petition immediately following: “Your will be done on earth…” Our first call as Christians is to belong to, to enter that Kingdom and not just to be a member of the Church. The Church is, in so far as it is faithful to the call of Christ, part of the Kingdom but the Kingdom extends far beyond the membership of the Church. The Church is, as it were, the sacrament or visible sign of the Kingdom. As examples, I would suggest that people like Mahatma Gandhi and the Dalai Lama are people who are very much full of the spirit of the Kingdom, more so, I dare to say, than many of us who are baptised. It is significant, I think, that Gandhi was particularly fond of the Beatitudes and identified with them. It is time now to look at today’s text. It begins with Jesus seeing the crowds and going up a hill. Moses, too, delivered God’s law from an elevated place, Mount Sinai. In neither case can we identify the actually mountain or hill, although traditionally, of course, a hill in Palestine has been called the Mount of the Beatitudes. In the traditional way of a teacher, Jesus sits down to teach. We see him doing the same in the synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:20). He is joined by his disciples and it is not clear whether they were the primary object of his teaching or that the crowds were also included. The teaching, of course, is directed to followers and, in particular, to those reading the gospel. Jesus begins the discourse with the wonderful words of the Beatitudes. There are eight of them, each one beginning with the words, “Happy are those…” ‘Happy’ is a translation of the Greek adjective makarios(makarios) which includes not only the idea of happiness but also of good fortune, of being specially blessed. So we can translate it as “Blessed indeed are those…” or “Fortunate indeed are those…” It is important to realise that being a follower of Christ is intended to be a source of deep happiness and a realisation that one is truly fortunate to have discovered this vision of life. At a first reading, the Beatitudes seem to fly in the face of commonly accepted ideals of the good life. It takes a deeper reading to see their inner truth.

How happy are the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The Gospel in general shows great concern for the poor, that is, all those people who are deprived of what they rightfully need to lead a life of decent dignity. Why should the poor be particularly blessed? As people living in deprivation, obviously they are not. But in terms of the Kingdom they are blessed because in the Kingdom, where love, compassion and justice prevail there is no place for such inequality. The Kingdom is an environment of interlocking relationships where people take care of each other and where the resources of all are shared according to the needs of all. The Kingdom is a place of blessings and happiness for the poor because it spells the end of their poverty. The poor are the “little ones” that Jesus speaks about as qualification for entering the Kingdom. They are the “last” who will be first. And, while ‘poverty’ in a wider sense can be applied to all, Jesus is thinking especially of the material simplicity that he expects from his disciples, a poverty which he himself experienced with “nowhere to lay his head”. Wealth can only mean depriving the needy of what they should have. Matthew is unique in using the term ‘poor in spirit’. It is a significant addition. While the Gospel in speaking of the poor is mainly and rightly concerned with the materially poor, Matthew’s phrase can broaden the concept. Because, in reality, there are many other ways in which people can be deprived and regarded as poor. We are more sensitive to this in our own day with our deeper insights into psychological and sociological factors. People can, although materially well off, be literally poor in spirit. That is, they have little spirit, very little happiness, lives of full of stress and anxiety and anger and resentment. These are all the result of our highly competitive, each-person-for-himself society which is everything that the Kingdom is not. Taken in that sense, the Beatitude applies to a very large number of people.

Happy the gentle; they shall have the earth for their heritage. The word ‘gentle’ is variously translated as ‘meek’, ‘lowly’, ‘humble’. The Greek word comes from the noun prautes (prauths). The beatitude is reminiscent of a phrase in Psalm 37: “The humble shall have the land for their own to enjoy untroubled peace.” Probably ‘gentle’ is the better rendering. It suggests someone who is kind and caring and not particularly assertive and dominating. In our rough and tumble society such people normally get pushed aside and can thus be classed among the ‘lowly’ and the ‘humble’.  But they are not necessarily ‘meek’, which suggests people who allow themselves to be trampled on. Rather they belong to those who subscribe to active non-violence. That is, they will never resort to any form of violent behaviour to achieve their goals but they are active and pro-active, not passive – or meek. We think of people like Martin Luther King and Dorothy Day. To be ‘gentle’ in this sense requires a great inner strength and, of course, in the Kingdom there is a very desirable need for such people. It is there that they will come into their own. In some texts this Beatitude is interchanged with the following and sometimes it is presented as an addition to the first about the “poor in spirit” where “gentle” is understood as “lowly” cf. Ps 37:11). In this case there would only be seven Beatitudes, a more biblical number.

Happy those who mourn; they shall be comforted. Mourning and happiness would seem to be contradictory to each other. It does not say what the mourning might be about. It could be the death of a family member or a loved one. But it could be something quite different altogether. Again we have to see the beatitude in the context of the Kingdom. There, those who mourn – for whatever reason – can be sure of experiencing the comfort and support of their brothers and sisters. That is something that they cannot be always sure of in a world where people are too busy taking care of their own immediate interests. Mourning by itself is never a happy experience but it can become a blessing when surrounded by the right people as their love and concern are poured out.

Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right; they shall be satisfied. ‘What is right’, ‘what is just’. Justice is done when each person is accorded what belongs to them. A just world is a world of right relationships; in the Kingdom that is realised. And so, those who truly hunger and thirst to see justice done in our world for every single person will see their dreams and hopes come to fruition. It is a hunger and thirst which everyone of us should pray to have. Only when we all have that hunger and thirst will justice be achieved and the Kingdom become a reality. We have made progress over the years but we still have a long, long way to go.

Happy the merciful; they shall have mercy shown them. Mercy, compassion, the ability to forgive fully. The Kingdom is a world full of mercy and forgiveness. And just as we will be ready to forgive others we will find that others will be ready to forgive us when we fail in our responsibilities towards others. In the Lord’s Prayer, which is a prayer of the Kingdom, this is what we ask for: “Forgive us our sins because we forgive the sins of those who have offended us.” In fact, it is impossible for those who belong to the Kingdom to be offended and forgiveness comes easily to them. That does not mean, of course, that we condone every wrong. The question of justice always remains. But condemning wrong does not exclude healing wounds caused by the hurt which wrongdoing causes. And mercy understood as compassion is a particularly desirable quality in a Kingdom person. Such a person not only experiences pity for those who suffer but knows how to enter into and empathise with what they are going through. This was a quality found again and again in Jesus himself.

Happy the pure in heart; they shall see God. ‘Pure’ here is not referring primarily to sexual purity. The pure in heart are those whose vision is totally free of any distortion or prejudice. They see things exactly as they are. As a result, they have little difficulty in recognising the presence and the action of God in the people and the environment around them. This purity of heart, this ability to be able to see with perfect clarity is truly a gift. It requires a high level of integrity on our part; but the rewards are enormous.

Happy the peacemakers; they shall be called children of God. Surely one of the most beautiful of the beatitudes and the one we would all love to have applied to ourselves. In a world so full of divisions and conflicts of all kinds the role of the peacemaker is so much needed. It is something we can all do, starting in our own homes, then in our working places and the wider society. It is something we can do as individuals and in groups, as parishes and churches. And, how true that, as peacemakers, we can be called ‘children of God’! The Letter to the Ephesians speaks beautifully of Jesus as making peace, breaking down walls between people, by his death on the cross (Eph 2:14ff). Finally, Happy are those who are persecuted in the cause of right; theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Most people would hardly regard being persecuted, which could involve prison, torture and death, as a source of happiness. But it is not the persecution that triggers the happiness but the reason why it is willingly undergone. Right from the beginnings of the Church, as described in the Acts of the Apostles, Christians rejoiced to be found worthy to suffer with and like their Lord in the proclamation of his message and way of life. That way of life was so precious to them, such a source of meaning, that they were more than willing to give their lives to defend it. In prison, they sang songs and prayed as later the civil rights leaders (most of them committed Christians) in the United States would sing “We shall overcome” as they rode the paddy wagons to jail. It is a much more painful experience to compromise with our deepest convictions in order to avoid criticism or physical suffering. They are indeed, as Jesus says, the successors to the great prophets of the Hebrew Testament.

Happy are those who with integrity can stand by their convictions whatever the cost. Some people have seen in these Beatitudes a portrait of Jesus himself and certainly they should be the portrait of every Christian and of every Kingdom person. They are the charter people everywhere (and not just Christians) are called to follow. They go far beyond what is demanded of in the Ten Commandments. The Commandments are not so difficult to follow and, in so far as several of them are expressed in the negative (‘Thou shalt not…’), they can be observed by doing nothing! There is no way, however, that people can ever say they observe any Beatitude to the fullest. They always call us to a further and higher level.

Commentary on Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Matthew 5:1-12

Today we begin the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus is presented as the new Moses. He presents five long discourses by Jesus, which can be seen to match the Pentateuch, the five first books of the Bible, traditionally attributed to Moses as their author and which embody the Jewish Law. Just as the Pentateuch embodies the Jewish way of life, so these discourses embody Jesus’ vision of the life he proposes for us. The Sermon on Mount is the first of these five discourses. It is not a tape recording or a verbatim record of an actual sermon or address. Rather, it is a collection of sayings and teachings focusing on the personal qualities expected of a disciple of Jesus. It is given on a mountain. Mountains are traditionally seen as holy places where God is specially present and there are several instances in both the Hebrew and Christian Testaments where mountains feature in a significant way. Apart from today’s example, we have, to give just two examples, Mount Sinai where God gave the Law to Moses and the mountain of the Transfiguration where something of Jesus’ inner reality was revealed to three chosen disciples. Jesus sat down, a position of authority, e.g. when the Pope speaks officially, he does so ex cathedra, sitting on his chair or throne. Jesus’ audience consists of the Twelve, his other disciples and all those who wish to hear what he says.

The core of Christian living: Just as the Ten Commandments are the core of the Jewish way of life and a law to follow, so Beatitudes are the core of the Christian way of life. Yet, they are often not understood as such. In many ways, they are largely ignored as guides to Christian living and many Christians still regard the Ten Commandments as their life guide. (I have yet to hear anyone refer to the Beatitudes in making their ‘confession’!) However, there are major differences between the Commandments and the Beatitudes. In a literal sense at least, the Commandments are fairly easy to keep. And, what is very significant as far as the Gospel is concerned, they can be observed without love. They can be kept in a very selfish, self-centred way. This was perhaps the problem of the rich man who said he kept the Commandments since he was young but could not bring himself to share his wealth with the poor. This was surely a failure in love for the neighbour. And so he could not become a disciple of Jesus. In the society where Jesus grew up, a good person was understood as one who kept the Law perfectly. In fact, many of them can be kept by not doing anything at all e.g. not stealing, not being violent, not doing any sexual acts, not talking about other people… A highly introverted, narrow-minded Puritan might very well be observing the Commandments to the letter. And this was where the conflict arose between Jesus and the Scribes and Pharisees. Strictly speaking, the Beatitudes are not commandments. They are not so much things to be done or rules to be kept as deep-down attitudes of mind. And, in fact, their observance is only possible with a deep love of God and of other people. They can never be kept fully – they are goals that are always calling us further. They never leave any room for complacency. One can never say about the Beatitudes what the rich man said to Jesus, namely, that he had kept all the commandments since he was young.

Sources of true happiness: Each Beatitude begins with the word “Blessed”. ‘Blessed’ is a translation of the Greek makarios, and the Latin felix. The meaning of these words is a combination of happiness and good fortune. So we could translate either with “Happy are those…” or “Fortunate are those…”. ‘Blessed’ used in that sense is a good rendering also. The Beatitudes must be understood in the context of the Kingdom. The Kingdom, as we said on a previous Sunday, is not a place. It is that complex of relationships that exists between God and those who have totally accepted him as the Lord and guide of their lives and who share God’s vision of what life is about. So, in the Kingdom it is not the rich, the successful and the powerful who are really happy and fortunate but the meek and lowly. Clearly that is not the conventional way of thinking for many in our world. And that is why to enter the Kingdom requires metanoia, a radical change in the way we see life and its values. This point is made forcefully by Paul in today’s Second Reading. “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God.” It is also made in the First Reading. “Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his commands; seek righteousness, seek humility… For I will leave in the midst of you a people humble and lowly… They shall do no wrong and utter no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths.”

Eight paths to happiness: Right at the beginning of Jesus’ teaching he throws down a challenge to conventional thinking. Let us now take a brief look at each one of these ways of being blessedly happy.

a. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. The poor in the Bible are not just the materially destitute but all those who in their need turn to God. Poor in spirit are those who clearly acknowledge that they depend totally on God. With such an attitude one has already entered the Reign of God. One acknowledges clearly that one is not self-sufficient, that one’s life always hangs by a thread and can be snuffed out at any moment. In our daily lives we are dependent on a huge number of people who provide for our needs. It is the loving power of God, accepted and experienced, that helps us to see just how dependent, how power in every respect we really are.

b. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Here we think not just of those grieving for a death but those also who feel a deep sorrow for the evils and injustices of this world. They mourn not just for their own pain but are in solidarity with all those who are the victims of “man’s inhumanity to man”. They face this pain with others and do not run away from it in hedonistic, escapist enjoyment. They realise that often the only way to cope with pain is not to go round it but to go through it. Such people will in turn experience comfort and a certain inner peace. They can discern the loving presence of God even in situations that seem so negative and painful.

c. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. The Greek word here for “meek” is praus, a word only found in Matthew and then just three times. It is normally translated as “gentle and kindly”. It is the very opposite of arrogance, bullying and violent manipulation. It embodies deep respect and tenderness towards all. It learns to find and radiate goodness everywhere. It is not to be identified with wimpishness, weakness or cowardice. The truly gentle person, the one who can remain gentle and respectful of the other’s dignity in the face of provocative violence is a very strong person. It is not an attitude we normally see in the heroes of action movies, who are more likely to deal with hostility by maiming or murdering. There is a fullness of life for the gentle that the arrogant and violent and manipulative can never know. And the world is theirs in a way that is never possible for the merely rich.

d. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. For those who live in an area of abundant water and food, hunger and thirst are rarely experienced as the poor of the desert lands often experienced in Jesus’ time. The intense hunger that Jesus speaks about here is that people everywhere may have what is due to them for a life of dignity and fulfilment. There are people in our society who only hunger and thirst to have the goods of this world for themselves whatever the effects this may have on others. But there are in our society others who have a hunger and thirst to dedicate their lives and energies to work for the restoration of true justice and peace in our societies. Such people belong to the Reign of God for it is God’s will that that hunger for justice be satisfied.

e. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. This is not just pity or sympathy but a deep down compassion and empathy, a real entering into the pain that others are experiencing. Such people can be absolutely assured of God’s compassion for them. In another context, Jesus told his followers to imitate the mercy and compassion of God. This means we have to put aside all forms of judgmentalism and prejudice not to mention hate and contempt for others. This is part of the command to love our enemies, those who hate and curse us. Our instinct is to pay such people in kind but then we are no different from them. On the contrary, we need to pray that their bitter hearts may be softened, that they may be enabled to reach out in love to all without exception.

f. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. This is not about sexual purity. It refers to the person who sees things with a totally unprejudiced eye, with no distortion whatever. They have 20-20 vision of everything and every person around them. They are able to see things and persons as they are. This is a very rare quality. They are the complete opposite of the self-centred bigot, the racist or the narrow-minded legalist. It is not surprising that such persons can see God, not in the sense of having visions, but in being able to discern God’s loving presence all around them. Such persons are truly blessed.

g. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Those who are active agents of unity and reconciliation wherever they are. The peace here is not simply an absence ofhostilities, an uneasy truce but a genuine healing and bringing together. We can be peacemakers in our families and homes, in our schools and workplaces, between churches, and in all the areas of our society where there is conflict. Peace is inextricably linked with justice; there cannot be peace where there is prejudice, discrimination or exploitation. It would be difficult to find a nicer thing to say of anyone than that he or she was a peacemaker. No wonder such people are called children of God.

h. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. How can people who suffer be called blessed? Because of the reason why they suffer: they do it for the Gospel, for the sake of justice and goodness. To suffer for bringing truth and justice into the world has a consolation and joy all its own. We remember the civil rights marchers in the 1960s, singing in the paddy wagons on their way to prison. We remember the many Christians who lost their lives striving for justice in many countries of Latin and Central America. The 20th century allegedly produced more martyrs for faith and justice than any previous century. It is something we should both be proud and ashamed of. But we pray that there will always be people who would be deeply unhappy if they did not remain true to a calling to justice and peace. We know the unease we feel when we compromise on truth or justice. There are some things which are bigger than us and we will be more ready to give up everything for their sake and experience a special joy in doing so. As a young mother said to me once soon after having her first baby: “Now I know why a mother will gladly die for her child.”

A special relationship: The Beatitudes have a quality and depth which goes far beyond the mere moral requirements of the Ten Commandments. They call for a very special relationship with God and with the people around us. They involve not merely a personal observance of some ethical rules but a deep concern to be involved in the building up of the world we live in, helping to make it a place of truth, love, compassion, justice, freedom and peace. This is what the Kingdom is all about. It is a completely different ball game. Am I ready for it?

PREPARATION FOR THE SESSION

Adapted from Sacred Space: The Prayer Book 2025

Presence of God: Jesus, As I come to you today, fill my heart, my whole being, with the wonder of your sacred presence. Help me to become more aware of your presence in my life, and more receptive to that presence. I desire to love you as you love me. May nothing ever separate me from you. ( 1-2 minutes of silence)

Freedom: Jesus, Grant me the grace to have freedom of spirit. Keep me from being bound by desires and actions that are not good for me or others. Cleanse my heart and soul that I may live joyously in your love. ( 1-2 minutes of silence)

Consciousness: Where am I with God? With others in my life? What am I grateful for? Is there something I am sorry for, words or actions that have hurt others, and which I now regret? I take a moment to ask forgiveness of God and of those whom I have hurt. God, I give you thanks for your constant love and care for me. Keep me always aware of your presence in my life. (2-3 minutes of silence)

OPENING PRAYER

Dear Jesus, how hard it is to remember, that beatitudes are a call of hope for me and a challenge to see the world a you see it. GIve me the insight and the courage to look at my life, imperfect as it is, and those around me, flawed as they are, and the world we all inhabit, crazy as it seems, and try to mirror your compassion for a person on the margins, even if that person on the margins is me.

COMPANIONS FOR THE JOURNEY

From Good Enough, by Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie

We live in a culture of blessing. We live in a culture of #Blessed. Partially nude bikini shot? #Blessed. Christmas card professional photo shoot where everyone is looking directly at the camera wearing matching chambray tops? #Blessed. As Christians, we cross-stitch our blessings on pillows, hand letter them in whimsical fonts and tattoo them on our bodies, forgetting perhaps, that Jesus turned the idea of what makes us blessed upside down. His blessings would leave some people wide-eyed, and others with tears of relief running down their cheeks. (p122) That having been said, sometimes we read those gospel beatitudes in Matthew and think that most of those don’t really apply to our everyday lives. So I am attempting here, without great theological explanation, to “translate” those beatitudes into everyday language. Here are the eight Matthew refers to in everyday language:

1. Blessed are those who are dispirited, who have lost confidence in themselves, in the world, maybe even in God, and press on anyway, hoping that by simply hanging in there, they can make a difference. Theirs is the Kingdom of God.
2. Blessed are those who mourn lost friendships, lost opportunities, lost moments they will never get back and refuse to give in to despair. Theirs is the Kingdom of God.
3. Blessed are those who don’t always think of themselves first, who let others’ issues take precedence, and work for harmony and peace and do not always have to be “right”. Theirs is the kingdom of God.
4. Blessed are those whom justice and fairness and left behind, leaving them powerless in the face of the cruelty or ignorance of others, and continue to work for a better situation, a better relationship, or a better world. Theirs is the Kingdom of God.
5. Blessed are those who are merciful, even to themselves, who know that we are all imperfect and do not judge others, and rely on the justice and mercy of God for themselves and others. Theirs is the Kingdom of God.
6. Blessed are those who know their imperfections, who know their own venal, self-serving little hearts, and work against self-serving behaviors. Theirs is the Kingdom of God.
7. Blessed are those who work to heal divisions in their family, in the world, in themselves, and extend the hand of forgiveness to even the most undeserving. Theirs is the Kingdom of God.
8. Blessed are those who stick their necks out in the boardroom or the classroom, in the kitchen or in the bedroom, who are laughed at, mocked or attacked for their naivete or their fervor, and get up and stand up for what is right.

Ok, folks, I am on a roll! Here are some extensions of those basic eight, (and there are many more you could add) which sometimes is where “Gum-chewing Christians” like myself meet our God:

1. Blessed are those who are weary, the worn out-—those at the end of their tether. They discover that God’s arms are strong enough to hold them.
2. Blessed are those who find contentment in what they have, who find joy in the ordinary, who do not covet what they cannot have. They will know that God is enough.
3. Blessed are those who struggle the best they can with the negative events in their lives. They know God sees their effort.
4. Blessed are those who do not judge or ignore those who do not seem able to cope with life, who realize that others’ problems are real, whether they exist in their minds or in reality. They have hope that God’s mercy will be theirs.
5. Blessed are those who struggle to understand that they are loveable, not because of what they do, not because of that they look like, and sometimes in spite of the kind of persons they are. They will know God’s love.
6. Blessed are those who show the wounds of living—crow’s feet from aging, lines from worry, body dysmorphia of any kind, eyes strained with fatigue, nervousness from anxiety, physical and mental disorders of any kind, those who remember we often fall short. They are beautiful in God’s eyes.
7. Blessed are those who face giving up what they love: life they have known, a family, a relationship, a career, their youth, a dream. They will know God’s comfort;
8. Blessed are the lonely. They, too, will know God’s comfort.
9. Blessed are those who try to live the here-and-now, who treasure joyous and poignant memories, and the small charms of the everyday, who look forward to living every day, even if life is imperfect. They will experience God’s true joy.
10. Blessed are they who ask for spiritual help, who are willing to trust in another. They will find help.
11. Blessed are those who are willing to start over. They will find courage.
12. Blessed are those who don’t always feel “blessed”, with curated images and postings on Instagram, who feel like they are in the back of the “favors-from-God” line, who feel like misfits, who feel afraid to speak for fear of being criticized or ridiculed, who feel forgotten and left out. They are children of God.

Matthew wrote his set of Beautitudes, and Luke wrote his own set of beatitudes—four blessings and four woes. Why don’t you get a little creative and write your own?

LIVING THE GOOD NEWS

What action can you take in the next week as a response to today’s reading and discussion? Keep a private journal of your prayer/actions responses this week. Feel free to use the personal reflection questions which follow:

Reflection Questions:

Do I see these beatitudes as a “warning” to behave better, or as a comfort to those who have suffered from lack of fairness?
Would that make a difference in how you interpret these sayings of Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount?

Does poverty of spirit mean feeling sympathy for those with less?
Does poverty of spirit mean feeling worthless by the world’s standards?
Does poverty of spirit mean feeling worthless before God?
Do any of these definitions reflect how I have felt at times?

Does poverty of spirit refer to loneliness, unhappiness or dissatisfaction with the way life is going?
How would I define porverty of spirit?

Does poverty of spirit have anything to do with utter reliance on God?
To what extent do I rely on myself, my friends, my financial security, luck or talent to navigate the world?
What do I hope for? Where does fullness of life with God stand on my list?

What losses in my life have I experienced, but did not fully mourn those losses?

Do I know anyone right now who is suffering from sadness due to loss of someone or something?
What can I do to reach out?

What does it mean to be meek?
When is it a good trait and when is it not a good trait in someone?
Have I ever stood up for some who was to meek to fight for themselves?

What individuals or groups of people are disadvantaged by the world/culture they live in?
Can I think of one person in my life who has been treated unfairly?
By whom or what?
Was there anything I could do to help?
Did I try to help?

I think of someone in my life who could have been vindictive or at least suggested punishment for something I did, but instead, showed me forgiveness and understanding. How did it make me feel?
Have I done the same for anyone else?
Or do I hold grudges?

What does it mean to be clean of heart?
In what areas of my life are my motives a little “dirty”, or at least a bit self-serving?
In what areas of my life have I been a victim of other’s bad intentions and actions?

Is a peacemaker, in my mind, one who gives in on principles in order to avoid conflict?
Is a peacemaker , in my mind, someone who listens carefully and tries not to exacerbate the situation?
In what ways is it counter-cultural in our society to be a peacemaker?

Have I ever suffered the consequences of speaking up for a person, or a moral value?
What were they?
Would I do so again?

Has my Catholicism ever been a liability in my workplace or in my relationships?
How did I deal with it?

How might the Beatitudes serve as a good entry point for my observance of Lent?

Which of the phrases in Matthew’s beatitudes appeals to me the most?
Which offers the greatest challenge?

How do these phrases of Matthew’s beatitudes compare with the "American Dream"?

In what way is Matthew outlining the ideal community?
Is this vision the same as mine?
How is it different?

Do I ever reflect on where I am truly blessed?

CLOSING PRAYER

Don’t forget to provide some prayer time at the beginning and at the end of the session (or both), allowing time to offer prayers for anyone you wish to pray for.

From Sacred Space, a Service of the Irish Jesuits: We have no portrait of you, Lord, but in the Beatitudes you show us your interior landscape, the source of your joy. This is not a set of regulations, but a vision of where true happiness lies. Let me taste the joy you promise through the Beatitudes.

FOR THE WEEK AHEAD

Weekly Memorization: (Taken from the gospel for today’s session) Pick your favorite beatitude and memorize it, praying it every day this week.

Meditations:
A Meditation in the Augustinian style/Relationship: Write your own set of beatitudes, using the world’s values instead of what Jesus’ were, according to Matthew. Which of the world’s beatitudes is a particular temptation for you? How do you deal with it? Which of Jesus’ beatitudes do you find the most comforting? Why? Which do you find the most annoying? Why? Which beatitude do you have the most difficulty living out? Why? Imagine Jesus saying these beatitudes to you directly and looking straight into your heart. Pray for the openness to hear what He says to you.

A Meditation in the Dominican Style/Asking Questions: (With references to “First Impressions”, a service of the Southern Dominican Province.) Many of the famous sayings of Jesus have been arranged according to topic and grouped together in what has come to us as the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. The opening words of the discourse of Jesus are considered so important, so pivotal, that scholars and spiritual leaders have spent centuries discussing their meaning and their application. There are over 8000 books available on Amazon.com alone! The beatitudes comprise sort of a keynote address, and the very first lines set the tone for the entire selection. What if Jesus had taken his first lines from a business journal which is supposed to be a showing us how things are in the “real” world?  Those “beatitudes” might go something like this:

Blessed are the rich and famous, for they shall have what they want.
Blessed are they who cut their losses, and get rid of the losers, they will live to win another day.
Blessed are the powerful, they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are the white and well educated, the world is theirs.
Blessed are they who cry for vengeance, they will be seen as protectors of society.
Blessed are they who cultivate the right people, they will go far.
Blessed are they who tailor their morals to meet the marketplace, they will be rewarded.
Blessed are Americans for they shall have the earth’s riches at their beck and call. (adapted from Siciliano)

These cynical ” beatitudes” may make us wince, but they are what a lot of people in the world value and call “blessings”. I would suggest that we have been encouraged to live by them, in one way or another, since we were young. These values may have passed on to us by our parents, or in school, but for sure all the sights and sounds we see on TV ads present these worldly beatitudes by showing us the successful, young and powerful who seem to lack for nothing. But these worldly beatitudes don’t speak to our faith vision; they aren’t the ones Jesus spoke to those gathered around him. (Fr. Jude Siciliano. O.P.) And they are a reminder and a comfort for those of us who live our daily lives doing our best not to be swayed by the allure of the surrounding world we meet at school, work and even at home. We are tempted to lessen our hold on our faith, to coast along, little by little adopting and living by the standards of our world:

• To admire and strive after wealth and position

• To value the “haves” more than the “have nots”

• To seek the company of those who make us look good

• To cling to “eternal youth”

• To out-spend our neighbors on clothes and entertainment

• To fit in with the majority opinion and be silent when a word of justice is required

• To  fudge truth for personal gain and convenience,

The beatitudes celebrate those who “show up” each day and put their lives on the line in many small and sometimes in very big ways, for their faith. Jesus isn’t calling us to be wimps, to lie down and let the world run over us in its pursuit to pleasure and ease. He wants us challenge by our values and ways of living what the world takes for granted and calls “blessings.”  We are, according to the beatitudes, people who practice unlimited forgiveness, peacemaking and patient loving, in the ways Jesus taught us by his living and dying.(Siciliano, FI 5 th Sunday A)

So our questions are:
First: Where am I in my present relationship with God? Are my successes, my possessions, seen as gifts from God, or do they distract me from recognizing my radical dependence on God alone? What do I hunger and thirst for? Love? Power? Comfort? Justice? Peace? Which are God’s values? Which are mine?

A Meditation in the Augustinian style/Relationship: Many of the Jewish psalms, are psalms of lament, reflecting the agony and separation of an oppressed and suffering people. and also capturing their collective trust in God. Like the beatitudes of Jesus, these psalms of lament are a reflection of a firm belief in God’s care for those who have suffered at the hands of the powerful. As you read psalm 10, reflect on all the ways you have felt beleaguered in your life, and then reflect on all the ways in which Jesus has been present in your pain and sorrow. At the end, write a short 4 line psalm of your own, reflecting your hope in times of stress.

Psalm 10
O LORD, why do you stand afar off ,and hide yourself in times of distress?
The poor are devoured by the pride of the wicked; they are caught in the schemes that others have made.
For the wicked boasts of his soulʼs desires; the covetous blasphemes and spurns the LORD.
The wicked says in his pride, “God will not punish. There is no God.” Such are his thoughts.
His path is ever untroubled ;your judgments are on high, far removed. All those who oppose him, he derides.
In his heart he thinks, “Never shall I falter; never shall misfortune be my lot.”
His mouth is full of cursing, guile, oppression; under his tongue are deceit and evil.
He sits in ambush in the villages ;in hidden places, he murders the innocent The eyes of the wicked keep watch for the helpless.
He lurks in hiding like a lion in his lair ;he lurks in hiding to seize the poor; he seizes the poor one and drags him away.
He crouches, preparing to spring, and the helpless fall prey to his strength. 11 He says in his heart, “God forgets, he hides his face, never will he see.”
Arise, O LORD; lift up your hand, O God! Do not forget the poor!
Why should the wicked spurn God, saying in his heart, “You will not call to account”?
But you have seen the trouble and sorrow. You note it; you take it in your hands.The helpless one relies on you, for you are the helper of the orphan.
Break the arm of the wicked and the sinner! Pursue their wickedness till nothing remains! 16 The LORD is king forever and ever. The nations shall perish from his land.
O LORD, you have heard the desire of the poor. You strengthen their hearts; you turn your ear
to give right judgment for the orphan and oppressed, so that no one on earth may strike terror again.

POETIC REFLECTION

I offer you a little poem from the writer Fr. Michael Kennedy, S.J., which reflects on the difference between passive assent and true belief:

When he calls
Disciples to be poor in
Spirit and in many other ways
On his list of things to do or to
Be the reaction from the first
Members he called and even
Our response today is likely to
Be a polite assent but no belief
For like those called many years
Ago we are convinced that we
Live in the real world not in
Some fantasy one
However pious

And yes once again
We have forgotten our
Experience of the Lord in
A spouse or a child or a truly
Welcoming community or in the
Simple and uncluttered wisdom
Which fills an old friend or even
When we help others mourn
Then finally when we do
Remember our Jesus