Today's Readings (Solemnity Of All Saints)
(Audio)
Most of us have heard the beatitudes many times by now. By turns we may think them overly naive or find the reversals they imply to be delightful. At the very least we probably wish for a world where the poor are blessed, those who mourn are comforted, and those who are meek are not deprived on account of their meekness but in fact go on to inherit the land. We wish that those who hunger for righteousness would actually find it, and that the merciful would not be trampled down because of their mercy. We hope that those who dedicate themselves to purity truly do receive the vision of God as a reward, and that those who sow peace find themselves with an unbreakable bond to the most high. Of course we desire those who receive insults and abuse for the sake of Jesus to be rewarded. But all of those things usually feel more like wishes than any kind of concrete reality here and now. The way we see the poor neglected and exploited is only the beginning of the counterargument reality never ceases to offer.
Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
What made Jesus teach about these specific attitudes? Was it because times were simpler than and one could decide to simply change his mindset and see poverty or sorrow differently, such that it would be a blessing? Was injustice such that it could actually be solved by those who worked at it, and not, as in our day, intractable? Or was he teaching about attitudes that would lead, perhaps, to misery on earth, but happiness eventually in heaven? No doubt these attitudes would help lead to heaven by working against the tendency to be too attached to the things of this world that can distract one from seeking first the Kingdom. But was he really suggesting that we embrace short-term sorrow for the sake of long-term joy? Such would, after all, be a fair trade, and a smart move for any who did the math. But we believe that there is more here than a mere temporal trade off for the sake of eternity. These attitudes lead to happiness, not only in the great hereafter, but even here and now, even in spite of how much it sounds like they would not and could not conduce to anything even remotely approximating happiness or joy. In proof of this we offer first Jesus himself, who was poor and did mourn, but was by no account miserable. Secondly we offer the "great multitude" of saints who have put the teaching of Jesus to the proof. There was a great variety in how they implemented the beatitudes in their lives. Poverty of spirit meant something different for Saint Louis than it did for Saint Francis. But they all embraced all of the beatitudes. They managed to maintain their joy even while not neglecting the need to pursue justice in the world. That itself ought to be a sufficient miracle to prove the Christian creed. They all gave evidence that to see God and to be his children is a greater reward than anything this world has to offer.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.
Jesus taught the beatitudes so that his disciples would learn that the things this world has to offer aren't the most important things. He wanted them to understand that, if they sought first his Kingdom, even those things that the world abhors wouldn't be an obstacle to spiritual joy. He wanted to give them a hope sufficient to motivate them to seek what mattered most, even in the midst of what the world would consider failure. One thing that definitely won't provide true joy is targeting the opposite of the beatitudes as our end goals, whether riches, or any other sort of worldly happiness. Let us instead try to become, like the saints, unique refractions of the light that shines upon us from Jesus himself. Let us join with them in one chorus of praise.
"Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might
be to our God forever and ever. Amen."
Randy Rothwell - Salvation Belongs To Our God
