Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those for whom the things of this world are not a hindrance to the pursuit of the things of God. These are the ones who store up treasure in heaven rather than building increasingly large storage facilities to hoard the goods of this life (see Luke 12:13-21). They are the ones who buy things but act as not owning, and who use the world as not using it fully (see First Corinthians 7:30-31).
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
It is actually problematic to be too comfortable in a situation which is only temporary. It is better to recognize that things are meant to be better than they are now, to realize that we are not yet home. It is more comfortable, perhaps, to ignore the injustices that surround us, the darkness which is always a reality in this present life. But it is better to recognize that darkness, so that we can grow in our desire to see the triumph of the light.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
We may wonder how anyone can afford to be meek in a world where the strong flaunt their strength and appear to dominate. Even if to be meek means, as we have heard, to have strength under control, even this doesn't seem practical when others seem to employ strength without any such restraint. No doubt meekness would in fact be an ill advised strategy if everything came down to us and our ability and if victory was more important than goodness. But we are not meant to seek temporary victory at any cost. And we need not, because it is not in fact all about us. We may seem to suffer many defeats, but never ultimate defeat, as long as we are living in accord with God's plan. Defeats in this life are never more than temporary setbacks on the way to the victory of the Kingdom of God, since God makes all things work together for the good of those who love him.
For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (see Romans 8:38-39).
The saints have demonstrated that the qualities described by Jesus in the beatitudes are actually not hopelessly naive or unrealistic. They have shown us the power of mercy, the attractiveness of pure hearts captivated by the vision of God. They have shown us the way to find true and lasting peace as children of God. They may, it is true, have been insulted and persecuted for the sake of the name of Jesus. But on this feast we celebrate that such opposition did not defeat them, but was in fact the gateway to their final triumph.
These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.
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