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"In the name of Jesus Christ, who was never in a hurry, we pray, O God, that You will slow us down, for we know that we live too fast. With all of eternity before us, make us take time to live—time to get acquainted with You, time to enjoy Your blessings, and time to each other."
- Peter
Marshall |
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2 COR1:1-7; PS 34:2-3, 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
MT 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."
USCCB lectionary
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Reflection on the Scripture |
"He comforts us in all our afflictions and
thus enables us to comfort those who are in trouble." —2 Corinthians 1:4
Jesus came to earth, suffered for us, and consoled us. It was "our sufferings that He endured" (Is 53:4). Because Jesus suffered, He is able to help others who suffer (Heb 2:18). Jesus had an extraordinary public ministry of healing, teaching, and deliverance. However, it was not by His victories but
rather by His wounds and His sufferings that we were healed and saved (1 Pt 2:24).
We disciples of Jesus are privileged to suffer for Him (Phil 1:29). We make our sufferings effective by joining them to Jesus. Then we can find our joy in the suffering we endure (Col 1:24) for His people. A traditional Catholic saying to a suffering person is to "offer it up." We could equally say "join it up," that is,
join our sufferings to those of Jesus, the Suffering Servant.
By joining our sufferings to His, we can be "other Christs" for suffering people. When we "weep with those who weep" (Rm 12:15), our compassion is authentic because of the depth of our own suffering. Others sense this and are open when we encourage them to invite Jesus to touch and heal their wounds.
In today's Gospel, Jesus proclaims: "Blest too are the sorrowing, they shall be consoled" (Mt 5:4). Who will be able to comfort a mourning person? Quite possibly we who have mourned and suffered will be the comforters (2 Cor 1:6).
Prayer: Jesus, by Your wounds, we are healed (1 Pt 2:24). Through our wounds joined to Yours, bring many to healing and
salvation.
Promise: "Blest are they who show mercy; mercy shall be theirs."—Mt 5:7
Presentation Ministries
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Theological Gems from Emile Merch's Theology of the Mystical Body - selected by Jim and Tyra Arraj
Book V: In Christ
Chapter 15: The Holy Supernatural 455. "We are His Workmanship, created in Christ Jesus." Eph. 2:10
From the very beginning Christians had at least a confused intuition that the order of things to which God was leading them was above everything in nature, that it was at once new and transcendent, that it was a new life, a new creation, a fellowship with God, a divinization, a
heavenly life.
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