What does it mean to be blessed? According to today’s Gospel message, Jesus says it means being poor in spirit, meek, merciful, persecuted, insulted or hungry—probably not the definition of blessed that I would have written up myself. When I think of blessed I think of good circumstances, a happy heart and being void of worry. But that is not always reality. God never promises a life without hardship. He does, however, see us. He sees our life in the good times and the bad times and he knows us. God wants to bless our lives. So he sees us when we’re tired, lonely, and hurt and he offers himself to make us whole.

One thing Jesus does tell us is to “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8). This was a huge revelation to me because as a Christian sometimes I feel guilty asking for God to bless me. I feel like I should be spending my prayers asking God to bless others, who are probably much more deserving and needing of blessings. Then I realized in the same way God wants to bless others, he genuinely wants to bless me too. It is a matter of me having the faith to ask and then truly believe that I will receive.