A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 5:1-12
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Reflection:
Pope Benedict said in his book “Jesus of Nazareth”, that Jesus made preparations before announcing the Beatitudes in today’s Gospel. He went up the mountain where He gathered His disciples around Him, and addressed the crowd – the people who were tired, thirsty, hungry, oppressed by the Roman occupation and leaders who don’t anything for them.
The first word he said is “Blessed” because they have to know that with Him the weary, the thirsty, the meek are armed with the power of love. He identifies these people as the inheritors of the Kingdom.
This Kingdom is composed of the poor, those who mourn, the meek, the merciful, the peacemakers, etc. All these figures draw one face, the face of Jesus. Telling who these blesseds are, Jesus asks everyone to embrace these faces because these show the way of holiness.
