“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.”
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Reflection:
How does one
become a saint in his/her own little way? To be saint is to embody the character
of Jesus. To be saint is to embody the words of Jesus in our gospel today.
We can be
saints in our own little way for as long as we aspire to follow the life of
Jesus and for as long as we live the words of Jesus in the gospel. For example,
if you’re a parent and you try your very best to rear your children according
to the teachings of Jesus you are already a saint for them. If you’re a son or
daughter and you try your very best to take care of your parents, you are
already a saint for them.
In our
gospel, Jesus mentions nine blessed situations. The first is "poor in
spirit." But what does it mean to be poor in spirit? Does this imply that
we are blessed because we lack the necessary spiritual vitality? No, being poor
in spirit refers to those who may lack material possessions yet place their
reliance on God.
To be poor in
spirit means that we continuously hunger for Jesus. No one can satisfy this
hunger except Jesus and His life-transforming words in the gospel. Therefore,
we rely on Jesus more than we rely on ourselves and on this world.
Do you always hunger and thirst for the Lord? - Marino J. Dasmarinas
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