WEEKLY REFLECTION 

“The Sermon on the Mount is addressed to the entire world, the entire present and future, and can be understood only by following Jesus and accompanying Him on his journey.” – Pope Benedict XVI

What are we to make of these beatitudes? Let’s begin with the first one. Blessed are you when you are poor? Who here wants to be poor, raise your hand? No one likes to be poor! 

The Greek word used for “Blessed” in Luke’s Gospel. The word here is macarius. It can also be translated as “lucky”. This word can help us better understand these beatitudes and what Jesus means by them. Let’s start with lucky are you who are poor. Why? What I think Jesus means by this is: you are lucky to not be attached to material things. St. Augustine taught in his Confessions, that our hearts longing for God. 

But instead of filling that God shaped hole with things that are of God, we end up filling that hole with things that are not of God. Material goods, cars, televisions, and the newest smartphone can be just fine so long as we don’t become too attached or addicted to them. And so Jesus says, lucky are you who are poor. Why? You are not addicted to material things. 

My friends, to summarize the beatitudes, let us gaze for a moment on the cross. Look at the cross. Is Jesus poor? Yes, he is naked on the cross. Is Jesus hungry? Yes, he hadn’t eaten since the previous evening. Is Jesus weeping? Yes, he is in pain and he is dying. Is Jesus hated? Yes, the Son of God came into the world and the world rejected him. And yet, the cross is the icon of perfect love. There is no better symbol out there of what perfect love looks like. By his wounds, we are healed! The truth is: the sermon on the plain in Luke’s Gospel together with the icon of the cross paradoxically offer us a roadmap to joy, real joy & authentic joy, which will help us grow closer to Jesus who alone can give us the grace to rise above whatever challenge this world can throw at us.

Reflections courtesy of Evengeli.net.