Father Bob Irish
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In this reflection on the Beatitudes, Father invites us to examine how we live our daily lives and challenges us to grow in mercy, humility, and holiness as true disciples of Christ.
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Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. When Jesus spoke the Beatitudes, He was talking to the crowds—everyday people like you and me—saying that to be a part of God’s family, we need to respond to the challenges of the Beatitudes in our daily life. You see, the Beatitudes propose to us a way of life.
They invite us to identify with the poor, those who mourn, the meek, and those who hunger and thirst for justice. They challenge us to be compassionate people, to be men and women who are pure in heart, and to become peacemakers in our dealings with one another, in our families, and in our society at large. Even when this approach exposes us to ridicule and persecution, the call remains.
Have you ever forgiven someone? Ever said, “Don’t worry about it—let’s move on and begin again”? That is an example of “blessed are they who show mercy.”
Have you ever realized that you were helpless in a certain situation and had only God to rely on? That is “blessed are the poor in spirit.”
Have you ever been in a situation where the wrong thing looked extremely attractive and the right thing looked extremely difficult, and you asked God to help you do the right thing because you truly wanted to—but weren’t sure you could? That is “blessed are they who hunger and thirst for holiness.”
Have you ever been extremely sad and upset over a loss of some kind, worked your way through it, and later realized that it helped you grow and become a better person? That is “blessed are the sorrowing.”
My friends, today’s Gospel is an invitation to ask ourselves: to what extent do we qualify to be called blessed by Jesus? Are we a person whom Jesus would call merciful? A peacemaker? Poor in spirit? Do we ever stop to think about what it really means to be Christian?
There are no easy answers to these questions. It would be easier to pretend the challenge is not there. But today’s Gospel asks us a simple question: how are we living our life, and is it the life we want to live in the name of the Lord?
May we live our lives poor in spirit and humble of heart, so that one day we too may rejoice and be glad, knowing that our reward in heaven will be great.