Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Today is the Solemnity of All Saints.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.”

Gospel Reading: Matthew 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. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

In today’s Gospel reading, we hear the story of the beatitudes. A beatitude is a condition of perfect happiness and inner peace to be enjoyed by us in heaven. When Jesus says “Blessed are the…,” he is telling us that these people who appear to be suffering greatly are actually going to experience great joy and solace in heaven. Do we not all seek to happy? It is a natural desire placed in all humans to be happy. We all want to be happy. Today’s Gospel reading is the beginning of Jesus’ sermon on the mount. He is talking to the masses telling them who will ultimately be the happiest in heaven. If we were to sit down and define what it takes to be happy, I would guess that the list that Jesus described in this sermon would not be at the top of our list. Poor, mournful, meek, hungry and thirsty would not be words used to describe the good life. But yet Christ tells us that these people will ultimately experience the greatest joy in heaven. Why? Because they have humbled themselves on earth. They find joy in the humility and in the humbleness.

Christ is telling us that these people are absent greed and envy and fill their lives with simple things that truly express God’s joy in their lives. Their lives are open to God’s glory. Jesus calls for us all to be merciful, pure in heart and to be a peacemaker. It is only through these actions that we truly unite ourselves with Christ. We are called to forgive those who have trespassed against us. We are called to forgive those who want to hurt us. We must strive to make peace with our fellow man. Many of us will be persecuted for our beliefs and our actions. Our friends and peers will make fun of us for the decisions we make. But Jesus tells that the kingdom of heaven is for those who make the ultimate sacrifice to live truly by the Word of God. The beatitudes reassure us that those who sacrifice the most on earth will ultimately be that happiest in heaven. Do you hunger and thirst for the spirit of God? Blessed are you who do.

A Simple Prayer

Lord God, Teach me to be humble.

Lead me down the path of righteousness.

Lead me to everlasting peace and happiness.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon