Daily Thoughts: I have a couple
of thoughts about the Gospel today (Matthew 5: 1-12). The Beatitudes are one of
my favorite Gospels but also one of the most challenging Gospels for me. Often
times after hearing it proclaimed I am energized yet also humbled. I am ready
to encounter the world yet I am also ready to head to the confessional. I want
to be a true disciple yet I know I am far from it!
Fr. James Martin, S.J. writes “What does
it mean to be poor in spirit?” I must admit I have always struggle with an
understanding of this first beatitude. Fr. Martin’s answer, “Poor in Spirit is
to know one’s reliance on God, to understand one’s dependence on God and to
grasp one’s humanity.” I guess we might say that to be “poor in spirit” is to
let go and let God.
The other challenge of the beatitudes is
that to live fully any one of the beatitudes, you will almost automatically
begin to live them all. Perhaps to put it another way, “You can’t live just
one!” In order to be a peacemaker we need to also be meek, merciful, clean of
heart, righteous and poor in spirit. In order to be merciful we need to be
clean of heart, meek, poor in spirit, righteous and a peacemaker. They go hand
in hand.
However living the beatitudes is not
easy because they will make us vulnerable to insult, persecution and the evils
of our world. They will open us up to the insecurities of the world which can
be troubling, harsh, insensitive and hurtful. In other words living the
beatitudes can open us up to be stepped on, hurt and not valued as a person.
Living the beatitudes almost always put us in tension with the ways of culture,
society and the world.
Yet, in the midst of all this Jesus
tells us to rejoice and be glad. The challenge of the beatitudes has been going
on since the beginning of time. Women and men before us have faced the
challenge and their prize, the Kingdom, await us. Perhaps all the beatitudes
can really be proclaim and lived in the phrase, “Let go and let God!”
Have a great day everyone!
Daily Prayer: O God, search
us and know our hearts; test us and know our concerns. See if there is any
crooked way in us, and lead us in the everlasting way. For we truly do believe
so our prayer to you is help our unbelief. Amen!
A Runner’s Thoughts: Remember if we
have the desire to run with God, then the specifics of the techniques used do
not matter very much just keep hold of the desire and God will be with you!
Daily Blessing: Monday greetings
and blessings to all! I hope your day has started off well though if you are in
the east like me it is cloudy and looking very much like rain this morning. My
hope is that the day will lighten up a bit as we journey through it! I have a
lot to do these next few days before hitting the road on Thursday for about a
month so I am trying to energize myself this morning for the tasks at hand as
this new week begins.
I hope you will have a great day and
that it is truly a good start to your week, but if not please know that I am
praying that things will get better for you. May God’s blessings be upon you
wherever you are and wherever your life brings you today. May your day be rich
in God’s grace, hope, love and joy and may you find the strength and energy to
share God’s blessings with whomever you meet! Peace in Christ’s Passion…Fr.
Paul
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