“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.
Matthew
It’s fiesta time in heaven – All Saints Day!
And on earth, it’s also a day to “rejoice and be glad” not only because we’re honoring our favorite uncanonized saints but because the day reminds us that we are already members of the Communion of Saints. That’s a great antidote to our tendency to feel like we’ll never be good enough to be counted as “blessed.”
In the Beatitudes, Jesus identifies the “blessed” among us and says how they have earned the designation. Then he tells them what consolations and rewards to expect.
As I meditate on the Beatitudes, I’m struck by how helpful they are as we struggle with sorrow and suffering. Jesus is not talking abstractly when he tells us that those who mourn will be comforted or that those who endure persecution for the sake of righteousness will win the Kingdom of heaven. After all authorities harshly criticized him for challenging religious traditions and he lived under oppressive Roman rule. He’s throwing out a lifeline to people who risk following him because in the end, this will all work out. That was true then and remains true today.
The Beatitudes also promise rewards for practicing virtues like purity and mercy and making peace.
Who among us doesn’t need mercy? The Beatitudes remind us that we’re more likely to receive it for our own failings if we extend it to others. And the opportunities for peacemaking are endless. Just ask any parent with more than one child or anyone who belongs to any organization including a church.
It’s almost a pity that the Beatitudes are presented so concisely because we tend to try to grasp them holistically when we could profitably meditate on each of them. But collectively they offer ordinary strivers like us a beautiful path toward becoming saints.
So rejoice and be glad! Celebrate the saints living and dead who have blessed your lives and believe that the kingdom of heaven awaits..
Eileen Wirth
I’m a retired Creighton journalism professor, active in St. John’s parish and a CLC member. In retirement, I write books about state and local history, including a history of the parish, and do volunteer PR consulting for groups like Habitat for Humanities, refugees etc. I love to read, work out, spend time with family and friends including those who can no longer get out much.
Writing reflections has deepened my faith by requiring me to engage deeply with Jesus through the Scriptures. In the many years I have been doing this, I’ve also formed friendships with regular readers nationally, most of whom I have never met. Hearing from readers and what I learn by writing make the hours I spend on each reflection well worth the effort.
