"Blessed are you who are poor...who are hungry...who are weeping…when people...insult you...on account of the Son of Man...your reward will be great in heaven.'"
Luke 6:20-23
Ever struggle to discover what God asks of you in all facets of life? The Gospel speaks simply yet powerfully. The beatitudes are our Christian identity card. Blessed are they who depend upon an all-good Creator God…who forgives wrongs done to them…who has integrity. Many live the beatitudes in their everyday lives. Think about it. You're working to pay the bills, but making time for your children.
You gladly shop for a neighbor who’s housebound and help at a soup kitchen.
You are burdened by the care of an ill or dying loved one.
You try to understand others' perspectives and work for the good.
You refuse to take shortcuts when it comes to doing what is right.
You're paying the price for loving the unlovable and forgiving the undeserving.
“Rejoice and be glad,” Jesus says, “you are the blessed of God. In the end, heaven is yours.”
That good news invites us to do many things: to trust God; to see in Jesus, crucified and risen, our own future; to live the beatitudes as best we can so that heaven will be ours.
Knowing that I am blessed, I strive to live the beatitudes with integrity.
Lord, give me the courage to be a blessing each day.
Today’s Reflection is by:
Fr. Kevin Mackin OFM
Did you know...
Fr. Kevin E. Mackin, OFM, of St. Anthony Friary in St. Petersburg, has served in parish ministry and chaplaincy, and as a college president and professor. His articles and books include Enjoying God's Gifts; Get Thee Behind Me, Satan: Rejecting Evil; and Christian Unity: The Next Step 'That They May All Be One.' His website is www.FatherKevin.com.
