"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."
Thought:
It is 11:45 am and
your stomach begins to growl. You look at our watch and anticipate the
clock striking noon. Your mind begins to wander. "Chinese,
Mexican, Soul, Creole, or a burger, what do I want." For us,
being without or being hungry is a short term thing. We have food at
our access. When we mourn, we have people around us. If we are stepped
on or taken advantage of, there are laws and opportunities to remedy
the situation. But what of our spirit, our soul? Hear the Good News,
the One who feeds us, restores us and embraces us is our Christ, the
Christ of God, Jesus. Being without, many of us really do not
experience this. We have a roof over our head, food for our stomach,
but when it comes to who we are, from our soul, we are all in need. We
have all lost loved ones, experienced times of sorrow and longed for
justice, and this is where we can "connect", connect to the
words, and the hope of the Gospel. The Beatitudes speak wonderful
words of comfort and promise for those without. Further, when we
understand that we are in need of what Jesus offers to us, where it is
we are and where we need to go, we find the path attainable,
manageable and "the" way of life. That is not to say it is
easy, only that you and I can do it.