Jesus is the Light that destroys darkness
January 22, 2023
Salt and Light
February 14, 2023
The Gospel reading for the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time is from the Gospel of Matthew 5:1-12a.
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.”
The moral code of humankind drastically changed that day when the Son of God, who desired to be called the Son of Man, gave those path-breaking values to a bunch of people gathered around Him.
God prepared the Israelites in a long formation process of thousands of years before they could be receptive to such a doctrine. They were called, chosen and set apart in a monotheistic value system. They were given the Ten Commandments as a moral code to be spread to the world. Despite multiple failings, they were prepared as a community to whom God could reveal His own personality, reflected in the Beatitudes.
Thus, in the fullness of time, Jesus walked the earth and revealed the secret of being God-like. God so wanted humans to become like Him- they were in His image and likeness- but marred by the Original Sin. Now, in the beatitudes, they would intellectually know what it is to act like God, speak like God, and live like God.
But that knowledge wouldn’t suffice. They will need the grace of God to live based on that moral code, received primarily through the Sacraments especially, the Eucharist and Confession. So yes, we now intellectually know the secret of a blessed life and have access to grace that makes such a life possible.
But do we care enough to internalize the Beatitudes and live them out in our personal lives?
