INTRODUCTION
Lent is the liturgical season that mirrors the forty days Jesus spent in the desert preparing for His public ministry. As we prepare for the Lenten season, beginning with Ash Wednesday March 5, we gather many materials together for our Spiritual Reading and reflection. One of the best and most reliable set of meditations are the Beatitudes from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.
SERMON ON THE MOUNT
MATTHEW 5:1-12
When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, He began to teach them, saying: “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, because of me, Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.
COMMENTARY
We will now look at each Beatitude as they bring us closer to imitation of Christ.
“Blessed are the poor in Spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Was Jesus saying the economically poor were blessed? No! The poor can be just as greedy and envious and proud as any other sinner. Jesus is speaking of the poor in spirit who understand their human nature vs God’s divine nature and accept all they have comes from God in blessings.
“Blessed are the Meek for they shall possess the earth.” The word meek comes from the Greek word which refers to a strong but domesticated animal like a powerful horse or ox. A meek person is a strong disciplined person. A meek person proclaims not my will but thy will be done. Obedience to the will of God brings us peace in this world and the next.:
.“Blessed are they who mourn for they shall be comforted.” Mourning in this beatitude is not mourning financial loss, loneliness, divorce, or even the loss of a loved one. Faithful Christians mourn because they have sinned, dishonoring God and breaking communion with the Body of Christ. Mourning our sinfulness creates in us a desire to repent and follow the Gospel.
.“Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be satisfied.” Righteousness refers to what is upright, virtuous, noble, and morally right. To be righteous is to choose to act according to God’s will in every way.
“Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy.” The merciful are tenderhearted. They go out of their way, without judging, to help those in need. God shows us mercy when we are miserable and powerless in our sinfulness. Blessed be God and Father of all mercy who comforts us in our tribulations so that we may be able to comfort others in the manner we are comforted by God. “
“Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God.” Everything impure comes from our hearts. For from within the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, greed, lust, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man.” Mark 7:14–15; 21–23. We must attend to our hardness of heart to root out evil and convert.
“Blessed are the Peacemakers for they shall be called Sons of God.” Peacemakers are not only those with great love for God but for all mankind as well. They love, desire, and delight in God’s peace. They want to preserve peace and restore it when it is broken.
“Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice’s sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Persecution in our time may not be bloody but may come verbally in the form of ridicule and mocking, Our kingdom is not of this world! “When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we try to conciliate” 1 Corinthians 4:12–13
REFLECTION
are the Beatitudes active in my life?
Do I offer kind words of encouragement to those suffering from affliction of mind and spirit?
Am I merciful to others or does rash judgment get in my way?
Do I proclaim courageously and vigorously the Words of the Gospel or do I cower and compromise… into the culture and trends of this world…
Is my heart detached from false idols…
does my heart seek the kingdom of heaven first and foremost?
PRAYER
Merciful Father, Help us to be among the poor in spirit; to be among those who mourn for all that’s wrong and broken in this world; Help us to be among the meek, the merciful, to be a true friend to those who are hated, misunderstood, rejected, and disregarded … Help us to be peacemakers… to build bridges to restoration and reconciliation with family, friends, and the world at large. In Jesus name, we pray!