for June 8
Monday of the Tenth Week of Ordinary Time

Today’s passage from the Gospel of Matthew brings back good memories of my days in Catholic grade school. I remember clearly when the good sisters introduced us eager children to the gospel stories. The sisters, our teachers, read the stories to us, including the passage of the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount. I loved hearing these words and also seeing images of the scene as we made drawings on paper of Jesus teaching on the mountain to the gathered crowd. I’ve always found the Beatitudes attractive and inviting. For me, the literary parallelism forms a kind of musical counterpoint where my ears can almost hear Jesus saying these words of blessing and promise. I find the Beatitudes especially consoling and comforting now—especially during these tough days.

The word “beatitude” generally means blessing. These sayings in the Gospel pronounce God’s blessing and point out the attitudes, activities, and ways of being in the world and in living life for those who are blessed by God. Some of these sayings may go back to the words of the historical Jesus that were remembered in oral tradition. Importantly, here in Matthew Jesus is teaching on a mountain—a place from which authoritative teaching is given in scripture. While Moses on Mt. Sinai “received” the word from God, here Jesus is himself teaching the word. Jesus shares these blessings of God but is in himself the fulfillment and the reality of God’s offer of salvation to us. That is, the teacher is the very lesson and truth that is taught. For this reason, these sayings take on a special authority in Matthew’s Gospel.

In the First Book of Kings, Elijah is led and chosen by God to be a servant. Through the power of the divine word given to him, Elijah is a faithful prophet. I see parallels as well with the prophetic words in the Beatitudes spoken by Jesus. Ultimately, these are God’s words of wisdom to a tired and searching humanity. We want and need God’s blessings and favor in the ways described by Jesus. In a way, Jesus in the Beatitudes tells us about the kinds of character and virtue that make it more likely and even possible to recognize and welcome God’s blessings in our lives.

In addition to drawing on paper colorful scenes of the Sermon on the Mount, the good sisters who taught me as a child also asked us to choose our “favorite” Beatitude. Over the years my favorites have changed and sometimes even blended with other scriptural sayings of Jesus. In these unsettled days, the words about “Righteousness” (Justice) and “Peacemaking” strike me as highly relevant in this time of global struggles with social division, injustice, and fragmentation in human lives and in communities. Jesus’ deep sensitivity to the poor around us and to our own personal inner and also our physical poverty show urgently how we need and long for God’s blessing, healing, and salvation.

Matthew’s Gospel today and the powerful and consoling teachings of Jesus invite each of us to hear and explore more deeply the blessings of God in our lives right now. Maybe we can each select our own favorite Beatitude for our prayer and meditation. Perhaps we might stay a while and rest in these words of wisdom and life that are more than mere words. These blessings are part of the truth spoken by our Savior to guide us in the journey of life. Similarly, God guided Elijah in difficult times of famine and disaster as we read in the First Book of Kings. Whether our blessing prayers be about mercy, poverty, mourning, or justice and peacemaking—so much needed now—there is much richness for us in these teachings. God’s blessings will continue to guide us and move us toward a new future—with the Lord and also with each other.
—Francis T. Hannafey SJ

Today’s readings can be found on the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website.