THE WORD
FIRST READING: Zeph 2,3; 3,12-13
Seek the LORD,
all you humble of the land,
who have observed his law;
Seek justice, seek humility;
Perhaps you will be sheltered
on the day of the LORD's anger.
But I will leave as a remnant in your midst
a people humble and lowly,
Who shall take refuge in the name of the LORD—
the remnant of Israel.
They shall do no wrong
and speak no lies;
Nor shall there be found in their mouths
a deceitful tongue;
They shall pasture and lie down
with none to disturb them.
SECOND READING: 1 Cor 1,26-31
Consider your own calling, brothers. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Rather, God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, and God chose the weak of the world to shame the strong, and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing, to reduce to nothing those who are something, so that no human being might boast before God. It is due to him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, as well as righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord."
GOSPEL: Mt 5,1-12a
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."
IN OTHER WORDS
The word "blessed" is mentioned at least 300 times in the Bible. Its origin may be traced to the Old English bletsian, that is "to consecrate, make holy, give thanks"; then to the Germanic blotham, bloedsian, meaning, "mark with blood". This depicts the pre-Christian story of Moses "streaking the door posts with blood to make them as holy to Lord". (Exodus 12: 7; 22-23)
Moving to the Christian times, the English conversion and Latin "bless" is benedicere "which started from a primitive sense of ' speak well of or to eulogize, praise'; to use it in Hebrew brk, would primarily be 'to bend,' hence 'to bend the knee, worship, praise, bless God, invoke blessings on, bless as a deity."'(Althouse.blogspot.com)
Today when we say "bless" or "bless you" we generally refer to the Latin meaning of benedicere that is, to "speak well of or to eulogize, praise"
But the question still is, given its etymology, what did Jesus mean when He taught and spoke of the Beatitudes in the Sermon of the Mount? In probing the words associated with "bless" i.e. to consecrate and make holy, mark with blood, to bend the knee, worship, to speak well of, we may say that the Beatitudes is all about "embracing the humbling, painful and even the tragic events in one's life yet, grounded in the hope that these will lead to one's salvation". The Beatitudes, more than laws to be followed or even feared, were proclaimed by Jesus as a "way of life" that He himself lived. He is inviting us to do the same - to become a paradox against a world and people obsessed with power, vain and with a callous conscience, and have fallen into a consumeristic mindset that dictates:
Blessed are the well-off and all-knowing, they could buy anything and don 't need anyone. Blessed are the comfortable, they will detest being sad and lonely. Blessed are the independent, they have everything they want and have it now. Blessed those who are filled, righteous and powerful, their guilt has caused others to live in inhumane poverty.
As we celebrate National Bible Sunday, let us continue and never tire to seek and turn to the Word of God as a source for teaching and inspiration, in good and bad times. If you were to write your own Beatitude, how would it be?
- Fr. Flavie Villanueva, SVD (CTManila)
The Word in other words 2017
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
