2007 3(26) - UCWLC

The BeatitudesBy Tim Rash (Excerpts)The Beatitudes are eight roads to perfect happiness. They are the standards or rulesChrist sets up for His followers.Matthew 5:5 “Blessed arethey who mourn: for theyshall be comforted.”Our Blessed Lord is not talkingabout those who mourn forworldly motives, but such asmourn for their sins, are blessed.The remorse that is according toGod, says St. Paul in 2 Cor 7:10,“works penance steadfast untosalvation, but the sorrow of theworld works death.”The same is promised is John16:20, “You shall weep and lament,but the world shall rejoice;and you shall be sorrowful,but your sorrow shall beturned into joy.” — CardinalJuan MaldondoMatthew 5:6 “Blessed arethey who hunger and thirstfor justice: for they shall befilled.”Hunger and thirst ... that is, spiritually,with an earnest desire ofbeing just and holy. But othersagain understand such as endurewith patience the hardships ofhunger and thirst.Many theologians have commentedon this verse, here aresome that I have found:St. Rupert, the Bishop of Salzberg,who died on Easter Sunday,March 27, 718, was also a contemporaryof Childebert III, Kingof the Franks, understands thispassage to mean those to whomjustice is denied, such as the poorwidows and orphans.Cardinal Juan Maldondo, the16th century theologian and exegete,says, “those who from povertyreally suffer hunger andthirst, because justice is not donethem. They shall be filled withevery kind of good in their heavenlycountry.” “I shall be filledwhen Your glory shall appear.”— Psalm 16Matthew 5:7 “Blessed arethe merciful: for they shallobtain mercy.”This is not only the giving ofalms, but the practice of all worksof mercy, both Corporal andSpiritual, are recommended here,and the reward will be given onthat day when God will repayevery one according to his works,and will do by us, as we havedone by our brethren. This is theDivine Mercy of God that wasrevealed to St. Faustina.Matthew 5:8 “Blessed arethe clean of heart: for theyshall see God.”The clean of heart are either thosewho give themselves to the practiceof every virtue, and are consciousto themselves of no evil, orthose who are adorned with thevirtue of chastity. For nothing isso necessary as this purity in suchas desire to see God. Many aremerciful to the poor and just intheir dealings, but don’t abstainfrom the luxury and lust. Thereforeour Blessed Lord, wishing toshow that mercy was not sufficient,adds, that if we would seeGod, we must also be possessedof the virtue of purity.Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are thepeace-makers: for they shallbe called children of God.”“To be peaceful ourselves andwith others, and to bring such asare at variance together, will entitleus to be children of God. Thuswe shall be raised to a participationin the honour of the only begottenSon of God, who descendedfrom Heaven to bringPeace to man, and to reconcilehim with his offended Creator.”— St. John ChrysostomMatthew 5:10 “Blessed arethey who suffer persecutionfor justice sake: for theirs isthe Kingdom of Heaven.”The Assisi born, Father FrancescoBartholi, the Franciscan theologianof the 13th-14th centuries says,“By justice here we understandvirtue, piety, and the defence ofour neighbour. To all who sufferon this account, He promises aseat in His Heavenly Kingdom.”“We must not think that sufferingpersecution only will sufficeto entitle us to the great promises.The persecutions we suffer mustbe inflicted on us on His account,and the evils spoken of us mustbe false and contradicted by ourlives. If these be not the causes ofour sufferings, so far from beinghappy, we shall be truly miserable,because then our irregularlives would be the occasion of thepersecutions we suffer.” — St.John Chrysostom.KCC1TIM@aol.comÍàøà äóõîâíiñòü SpiritualityNasha Doroha fall/2007 21