BLESSED ARE YOU….. ~ CookingFood.Org

“HONEY FROM THE ROCK”

Daily Reflections

Monday, 12^thJune 2017.

Tenth Week in Ordinary Time

2 Cor 1: 1-7;

Ps 34: 2-9;

Mt 5: 1-12

BLESSED ARE YOU…..

Jesus begins the discourse with the wonderful words of the Beatitudes. There are eight of them, each one beginning with the words, “Happy are those…” ‘Happy’ is a translation of the Greek adjective makarioswhich includes not only the idea of happiness but also of good fortune, of being specially blessed. So we can translate it as “Blessed indeed are those…” or “Fortunate indeed are those…”

Each of the beatitudes speaks of a reward, a fruit. When we ponder on the fruits of the Beatitudes, we can’t help but deeply desire them. But this desire can only be fulfilled if we insert the Beatitude into this desire so that we can understand and believe that the Beatitude is good and desirous.

Meditating on the Beatitude of Mercy, we can know that the Kingdom of God is a world full of mercy and forgiveness. And just as we will be ready to forgive others we will find that others will be ready to forgive us when we fail in our responsibilities towards others. In the Lord’s Prayer, which is a prayer of the Kingdom, this is what we ask for: “Forgive us our sins because we forgive the sins of those who have offended us.” In fact, it is impossible for those who belong to the Kingdom to be offended and forgiveness comes easily to them. That does not mean, of course, that we condone every wrong. The question of justice always remains. But condemning wrong does not exclude healing wounds caused by the hurt which wrongdoing causes. And mercy understood as compassion is a particularly desirable quality in a Kingdom person. Such a person not only experiences pity for those who suffer but knows how to enter into and empathize with what they are going through. This was a quality found again and again in Jesus himsel1f.

Prayer: Lord, help make me humble and meek, pure of heart and merciful, a peacemaker and one who accepts any persecution that comes my way. Help me to receive all with joy and with a longing for Your Kingdom. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.