Matthew 5, 1-12a:
Sunday, 29th January 2023 (4 Sunday of O T)
In this life we all seek happiness. And we often look around us and admire those we consider rich, those who are successful, those who are sporting champions or those who flaunt a life of luxury. Those who lead an “enviable” life. With all their power they seem to have achieved the ultimate in this life.
Jesus begins his public life and tells us: “convert” (because that other way only leads to envy, pride and inner dissatisfaction). After telling us that it is necessary to convert, to change certain criteria of life, he shows us a better way to become happy: the beatitudes.
The poor in spirit: not those who are apathetic or unqualified, but those who choose not to make riches their goal.
The suffering, those who weep, those who are persecuted for being faithful to God even in the midst of many difficulties.
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, not for banquets or material success, but for the righteousness and love of God.
The merciful, those who have a good heart and do not close their hearts to the needs of others.
The clean of heart, without duplicity or hypocrisy.
Those who work for peace and create peace around them.
The Kingdom of God will be closer when we live by these criteria, when our trust is in the word of the Lord and we try to follow it. St Paul tells us that God has chosen the weak to confound the strong. Someone told me one day that the beatitudes sounded like a catalogue for losers. He did not have much confidence in Jesus’ words: “whoever wants to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake and for the sake of the Kingdom of God will gain it”. Those who put their trust in him feel secure, and therefore happier.
Juan Ramón Gómez Pascual, cmf
Do you put your trust in him?
