This weekend’s Gospel narrative is on the Beatitudes, and how they express the vision of Jesus for human living, and in particular, for living as His followers, as His disciples. The qualities Jesus refers to find fullest expression in His own life:

He was ‘poor’ in that He recognized His dependence on God, His Father, for the work He was sent to do.

He was ‘hungry’ for what God wanted, and was prepared to be persecuted for being true to that deep hunger and thirst.

He ‘wept’ at the death of His friend, Lazarus; and at the Garden while praying, but kept His focus on doing God’s will.

He was ‘hated and insulted’ for doing God’s work, and He allowed Himself to be broken so He can be shared for the salvation of many.

When we look at the beatitudes, we are looking at Jesus, yes, but we are also looking at the person that Jesus is calling us to become. To live the beatitudes is to become, in the words of Saint Paul, fully mature with the fullness of Christ Himself. When we live the beatitudes as Jesus did, we will be truly blessed, because we will receive in abundance from God: “we will be satisfied, there will be joy, and reward will be great in heaven!”

Now on the 4th leg of the SOWER Weekends, we turn our “Engagement” ministries and see how we can understand the Beatitudes in the light of our call to “be with” those we are blessed to encounter every day: to engage and be engaged!

Sempre grato,

Father Erick

(For the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time)