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Manila Bulletin devider Reflections devider Blessed are you… rejoice and be glad

Blessed are you… rejoice and be glad

Published Jun 7, 2021 12:28 am
REFLECTIONS TODAY The Sermon on the Mount runs through chapters 5-7 of Matthew’s Gospel. Today, we begin reading it, starting with the Beatitudes, its opening words. They are called beatitudes, coming from the Latin beati, which means “happy.” Each beatitude claims that a group of people, usually the afflicted, is blessed with an actual blessing. Jesus declares that they have already been blessed without them doing anything to attain this blessing. Thus, the beatitudes are, first of all, declarations of God’s graciousness. They are not conditions of salvation or an entrance ID to God’s Kingdom. We rarely think, for example, of mourning as a blessing. But thanks to the coming of the Kingdom of heaven, mourning becomes a blessing because the mourners “will be comforted” by God himself. This “mourning” creates a profound relationship with God. That is a blessing indeed! Paul in the First Reading is in this disposition of blessedness. He is confident that the one who is afflicted is blessed because s/he who follows Jesus will share abundantly in Christ’s consolation. GOSPEL • MATTHEW 5:1-12 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. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2021,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.  

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