The Beatitudes

Monday, June 12, 2017
Tenth Week in Ordinary Time First Reading:
2 Cor 1:1-7
Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12 
When he 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.
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE
(Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
Today’s Gospel reading is known as “The Beatitudes” (from the Latin word for “blessed”). It shows how God’s justice reverses fortunes to the effect that those who suffer now enjoy prosperity in the next life. Isn’t this arrangement a bit harsh to unjust persons who only have a brief lifetime to enjoy but an eternity to suffer? But the contrary will not be fair also to those persecuted in this lifetime. God prefers to be fair to those who suffer now.
Reversal of fortunes should be upon God’s initiative. To court persecution so that the persecutor will end up in hell is a badge of a vengeful heart. A state of life no matter how noble, if motivated by vengeance, will never receive God’s imprimatur. “Vengeance is mine”, says the Lord. Revenge does not only follow the “lex talionis” tradition of the pagan world. It is also a direct affront to God to whom the right to punish the wicked and reward the just belongs.
If we were to usurp God’s power to avenge, how far can we really get even with our persecutor? Will doing him physical harm satisfy our quest for justice? The exaction of justice is better left to the vengeance of God, for when the hand of God strikes, the repercussions are scary. This can take long, though, for God takes his time. However, a bad person can already suffer the results of his wrongdoing in this lifetime. This principle is called comeuppance. What comes around comes around! When this happens, pay tribute to the justice of God but never nurture a vengeful heart. Otherwise you will have already pre-empted the reversal of fortunes and can expect nothing in the life to come. – (Atty.) Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM
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