In today’s Gospel, Jesus continues with the Beatitudes by teaching us more very strong lessons on how we must live our lives

Sixth Week in Ordinary Time. February 13th, 2010

Two weeks ago we heard Jesus’ incredible teaching know as the Sermon of the Mount. In these teachings Jesus tells us what we must do, how we must live, what our hearts and mind must be like if we are going to enter the Kingdom of heaven. Last week, Jesus said we must live the Beatitudes not only so we can make it to heaven but also so that we can help our neighbor, that is our family members, parish family members, our friend’s coworkers, and even strangers and our enemies make it to heaven. Charity dictates, “Either we seek the salvation of others or we will not be saved ourselves.”

In today’s Gospel, Jesus continues with the Beatitudes by teaching us more very strong lessons on how we must live our lives; and even more deeply, what must be in our minds and our hearts if we are to truly live the beatitudes and not merely give God lip service. Jesus today is reminding us that the Beatitudes are not suggestions, they are commands, commands that must be follow if we are to fulfill the great Commandment of Love, loving God above all things and our neighbor as our self for love of God.

And so the commandments that Jesus gives us today are linked to the Beatitudes, they are more details in the living of the Beatitudes. Let’s look at the connection between the Beatitudes and the commandments of Jesus in today’s Gospel:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit.” This poverty goes far beyond merely living simply or doing with out, it extends even to living spiritually without an eye or a hand if either “causes you to sin.” Poverty of spirit requires a radical detachment from anything that would send us to hell and keep us from the paradise of heaven. And poverty requires a radical detachment from anything that would prevent us from being solicitous in helping our neighbor do the same.

“Blessed are they who mourn.” Among the sorrowing, are those who suffer from other people’s sins. Being injured by our brother, and the resulting experience of mourning that results, cannot lead us to hate but to forgiveness. When our brother injures us we must initiate the reconciliation between us if we are to bring our offering to the altar. If we forgive them, then with this act of self-emptying comes the grace to be able to worship worthily the God who will forgive us only to the extent we forgive others.

“Blessed are the meek.” Those who are truly the meek, are those lowly enough to put aside their own ideas and opinions in order to accept humbly the commandants of God in all of their fullness. The meek accept the truth that comes from God and is revealed to us through the teachings of His One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church and her Magisterium. Those who accept the teaching of the Church, and strive to live them with the grace of the Sacraments, are “called the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”

“Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” These are those who have no duplicity of life. They aren’t Catholic in name only. They again strive to live their life according to the Creed they profess. These are those who hunger and thirst for holiness and so strive to live integrity of life. Their yes, means yes and their no means no. We must believe what we read in the Gospel, we must proclaim it to others, and we must live what we proclaim. Anything else is from the evil one

“Blessed are the merciful.” How easy it is to not be merciful and to let our anger overcome us, to control our life. Yet, if we become angry with our brothers and sisters we become “liable to judgment,” the judgment in which we can expect the same lack of mercy from God that we showed to others. If we call another, “you fool,” we will become the fool instead. However, if we are merciful, we will receive the Mercy of the Father-Jesus, who is the Divine Mercy of the Father.

“Blessed are the clean of heart.” The pure of heart are those who realize that sin begins in the heart and so realize that adultery and impurity begins in one’s heart. As a result they realize the importance of guarding our heart. Only the clean of heart shall see God and the things of God; only the clean of heart shall see things the way God sees them, other words the way things really are; only the pure of heart will see their neighbor as another Christ and not as an object for self-gratification. But being pure of heart also causes others to see Christ and his love in us.

“Blessed are the peacemakers.” Peacemakers will go to any lengths in order to settle things quickly with their opponents. They don’t hold grudges; they don’t seek to settle the score. They are truly children of God at peace with Him for they are at peace with one another.

“Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness.” This includes those who stand up for that which is Good, True and Beautiful, those who teach the commandments and teachings of God and his truth with a righteousness that surpasses the Scribes and the Pharisees, that is that surpasses the self-righteous. And, “Blessed are you when they insult you and…utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.” If us Catholic Christians refuse to take false oaths; if we refuse to give into that spirit of the world that opposes God and His Catholic Church; if we accept the truth even if no else does and refuse to accept lies if every else does; if we by our holiness of life show that right is right even if no one is doing it and wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it, then we can expect, for sure, to be vilified by the world, a world which is utterly threatened by anyone who lives a life of uncompromising integrity without a shred of care for what anyone else thinks, save for God the Almighty. Thus persecuted however, we should rejoice for our reward will be great in heaven.

In order to receive the grace and love we need to live the Beatitudes and experience what they promise we must believe, adore, hope and love, and pray for other to believe, adore, hope and love the Teacher of the Beatitudes in the Holy Eucharist the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. The Holy Eucharist is the very source of the Beatitudes; the very source of Heavenly Happiness for it contains the physical presence of Jesus Himself. And where Jesus is there not only is happiness, there is Beatitude, for there is Heaven Itself. Our Lady of the Beatitudes, Mother of the Eucharist, pray for us Sinners, now and at the Hour of our death. So we can enter into heavenly Beatitude. Amen.