Commentary on the Gospel of
Becoming Beatitudes
Read:
Jeremiah declares the cause of blessedness: absolute trust in God. For Paul, the resurrection of Christ is the justification of our hope. Jesus pronounces the Beatitudes of his Kingdom.
Reflect:
Unfortunately, many well-meaning Christians are obsessed with the Ten Commandments, like the rich young man of Mk 10:17-22. They are stuck with a God who is a fearsome judge who keeps an account of their dos and don’ts. If only we could migrate to the beauty of the Beatitudes! This is not to reject the Commandments. Whereas the Commandments are all about ‘doing,’ the Beatitudes are all about our ‘being.’ The doing should spring from our being, and not vice versa! This can only happen if we listen to the wisdom Jeremiah shares today: “Blessed is the man who puts his trust in the Lord and whose confidence is in him!” When we are rooted in the being of Christ by becoming the Beatitudes, “the year of drought is no problem and [we] can always bear fruit”—the dos and don’ts of the Commandments do not have to be forced; they flow from our being.
Pray:
Make a short prayer out of each Beatitude.
Act:
Choose one of the Beatitudes to grow into, for this month. (Thus, choose for every month, hereafter.)
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The Beatitudes are a compendium of the Gospel, a declaration of principles. Jesus proposed them to us as a mean to reach happiness in fullness, telling us: Blessed are you who hunger... Blessed are you who mourn... He made it clear that true happiness does not lie in having success, power, money, influence, means, but in being merciful, understanding, peaceful and clean of heart. To bet on the Beatitudes is to bet on being, rather than on having. Because we will only be happy when we are able to give to others.
The beatitudes are the "navigator for our Christian life", but there are also the "anti-beatitudes" which would surely make us go astray. It is about attachment to riches, vanity and pride. Meekness, not to be confused with "foolishness", Jesus perfects the old law in such a way that it becomes the path by which we can advance in our Christian life. (Pope Francis).
"This Sunday in Spain "Manos Unidas" is celebrating the Campaign against hunger. Let us stand in solidarity, to end hunger in the world.
Let us examine our hearts: whether God makes us happy, not because of what he already gives us, but because of what he has promised to give us.
(Psalm 1,1-2.3.4 and 6) Blessed is the man who has put his trust in the Lord.
HAPPY SUNDAY TO YOU ALL!
