THE WORD
1 Kgs 17, 1-6 / 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. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
IN OTHER WORDS
I read an enlightening article on the Beautitudes. It argues that the eight beautitudes is are bestdivided into two – the first four (Mt 5, 3-6) “may reasonably be interpreted as promising eschatological reversals to those who are unfortunate” while the next four (Mt 5, 7-10) “are best interpreted as promising eschatological rewards to people who exhibit virtuous behavior.”.
This means that to be poor in spirit, to mourn, or to be meek or hungry and thirsty are not conditions that one should aspire for, but rather these are conditions that must be reversed when the Kingdom of God reigns. On the other hand to be merciful, to be a peace maker, to be pure of heart and be persecuted for righteousness are virtuous qualities that enable one to be part of the in-breaking of the kingdom.
Another thing that caught my attention in today’s gospel was the idea that those people who possess the “Kingdom virtues” need to get involved in the process of REVERSING the conditions that need to be set right (poverty in spirit, mourning, powerlessness, starving for justice). Here, the beautitudes are understood as a communion. To be blessed means to be there for others, on one hand, and to experience the nearness of others, on the other hand. Ultimately, in our nearness to each other, we experience the nearness of God, who is Emmanuel.
When somebody tells you, “God bless you,” the blessing is not something you will receive in the future, but rather it is already there; you’re staring right at it. The fact that somebody cares about you, that somebody is near you is a blessing that no exam, or job or money could ever match.
The little presences that we are blessed with now are a foreshadowing of the Big Presence, the Blessing of all blessings that awaits us all.
- Fr. Dante Barril, SVD | Rome
The Word in other words 2016
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.
