Matthew 5: 1-12
Sing, praise, celebrate the Lord…
Created in the image of God and resembling God, singing and praising the Creator are the purpose of our being baptized. God invites us, more and more each day, to discover the immensity of his love for each one of us. But in the current circumstances, this invitation may seem extraneous and even useless. How can one sing in the face of so much suffering, so many losses, and the loss of hope?
Is our thirst for happiness satisfied by the teaching of Jesus on the Beatitudes that the Church offers on this feast of All Saints?
All Saints is a feast of hope, the feast of a people standing tall, who believe in the future. It is a feast during which we are called to contemplate what we become with each step taken in faith; we are renewed, filled with the light of God, living by praise
The intense desire for happiness is the echo of God’s call in us, the origin, the point of departure, the destiny of eternal joy. This happiness is destined for every human being, which is why the beatitudes were not given or reserved to the doctors of the Law, theologians… not even just to the apostles and disciples; it was the crowd to whom Jesus spoke. It was given not only to the people gathered in churches, but to all humans, good and bad alike, the worried, those tortured by dreams of happiness, diverted from their journey of faith and love. The beatitudes can make us smile; they do not praise poverty, persecution, sadness and famine. They are the program and promise of life, an experience of love, a disposition of heart, a manner of acting, a chance for happiness for each and all. The beatitudes incarnate the image of Jesus, and are the ideal of life, the directives and the situations to which he invites us all. They are, we might say, a guideline for life. So, our mission as those who are called and baptized, no matter our way of life, is to be thrown into a world of injustice and violence, egoism and oppression so as to reveal what is hidden and to risk paying the price. In order to be holy, we must strive to have the soul of a poor person, to cultivate humility, remain transparent, hunger and thirst for justice, maintain the sense of mercy, pardon, and persevere under insult and persecution. In order to achieve this we need to allow ourselves be filled with the life of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. That is to say, sanctity is a gift, and like every gift, it must be received and welcomed. In this way, in the words of Pope Francis, “Let the grace of your baptism bear fruit in your life of sanctity. Allow everything to be open to God. Choose God without ceasing. Do not be discouraged, because you have the strength of the Holy Spirit for whatever is possible; sanctity, at its depths, is the fruit of the Spirit in your life.” (cf. Ga 5, 22-23). (Gaudete et Exsultate n° 15).
God awaits our courageous and persevering participation in order to bring his Kingdom to its fulfillment. Eternal life begins here. The beatitudes are for us a lively hope for the experience of God today.
“I assure you that I ardently desire that you may become saints”. (Mère Françoise Blin de Bourdon). May the Good God fill us with blessings so that we may be made holy by God’s divine mercy!
Mt. 5: 1-12
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. 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 falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Meet Sister Adrienne Kapela, SNDdeN
