#The Beatitutdes

[apenitentialprayer]

It is not a virtue to be uncritical; on the contrary; but you have to be sure that your judgments are not hasty or spiteful, and that growth of the power of criticism is accompanied by a growth in gentleness.

Fr. Gerald Vann, O.P. (The Divine Pity: A Study in the Social Implications of the Beatitutdes, pages 65-66)

[azspot]

If we are to experience *makiroi*, we must find something that can transcend circumstances. We must find a way of living that goes beyond the seesaw ups and downs of pleasure and pain. The gift that Jesus offers is the spiritual skill for living life less dependent on circumstances and free of the inevitable ups and downs, twists and turns, of fickle fate. Jesus focuses our attention on the inner life and teaches us the skill of resting and trusting in him so that our lives become truly free.

The Beatitutdes

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Beatitudes

3 “The poor in spirit are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. 4 Those who mourn are blessed, for they will be comforted. 5 The gentle are blessed, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed, for they will be filled. 7 The merciful are blessed, for they will be shown mercy. 8 The pure in heart are blessed, for they will see God. 9 The peacemakers are blessed, for they will be called sons of God. 10 Those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

11 “You are blessed when they insult and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. — Matthew 5:3-11 | Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) Holman Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright © 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by Holman Bible Publishers. All rights reserved. Cross References: 2 Samuel 17:28; 2 Samuel 22:26; Psalm 25:13; Psalm 63:1; Psalm 107:9; Isaiah 29:19; Isaiah 61:2; Isaiah 66:2; Matthew 5:45; Matthew 19:14; Mark 10:14; Luke 6:20; John 16:20; John 19:26; Hebrews 12:14; James 3:17; 1 Peter 4:14

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Sermon on the Mount

1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

The Beatitudes

2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. — Matthew 5:1-12 | English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Cross References: 2 Samuel 17:28; 2 Samuel 22:26-27; 2 Chronicles 36:16; Job 19:26; Psalm 25:13; Psalm 37:9; Psalm 63:1; Psalm 107:9; Isaiah 61:2; Isaiah 66:2; Isaiah 66:5; Jeremiah 37:14; Matthew 13:35; Matthew 19:14; Matthew 25:34; matthew 23:37; Mark 3:13; Luke 6:12; Luke 6:35; John 16:20; Acts 8:35; Romans 8:14; 1 Peter 4:14

[apenitentialprayer]

You cannot render Me any service, but you can help your neighbour. The soul in love with My truth gives herself no rest but searches endlessly to help others. You cannot give back to Me Myself the love I demand, but I have put you beside your neighbour so that you may do for him what you cannot do for Me. What you do for your neighbor, therefore, I consider as being done for Me.

- the Voice of God to Saint Catherine of Siena, as recorded by Fr. Gerald Vann, O.P. (The Divine Pity: A Study in the Social Implications of the Beatitutdes, page 13) (Image: A stamp issued by the German government in 2007, in commemoration of Saint Elizabeth of Hungary’s 800th anniversary)

[apenitentialprayer]

[Related to gossip, t]here is the still worse sin of discord: still worse because if it is bad to hurt one of our brothers by destroying love between him and yourself, it is yet more diabolical -more characteristic of the devil- to hurt two or more of your brothers and destroy the love they have for one another.

Fr. Gerald Vann, O.P. (The Divine Pity: A Study in the Social Implications of the Beatitutdes, page 63)

[apenitentialprayer]

If you want to be used by the Spirit in His work in the world, there is this one essential preliminary: you must be meek, you must have docility.

Fr. Gerald Vann, O.P. (The Divine Pity: A Study in the Social Implications of the Beatitutdes, page 72)

[apenitentialprayer]

There is sin in the world. The song of creation is out of harmony: there are voices which are faulty or mute or discordant: the world of nature, as St. Paul reminds us, is still in travail [Romans 8:22], and the world of man is still sunk in sin and ignorance and malice: there is work to be done in the world by those who love God, redemptive work, and for that work God needs them. The more you understand what this song of creation means, the more you will realize how imperfect sin has made it. But the more deeply you have become identified with the heart of Christ, the more you will want to help in redeeming creation and restoring the perfection of the song. And you can only redeem and restore in the degree to which, being first redeemed and restored yourself, you have learned to love.

- Fr. Gerald Vann, O.P. (The Divine Pity: A Study in the Social Implications of the Beatitutdes, pages 14-15) (Image taken from The Bible Project’s The New Humanity)

[apenitentialprayer]

Confirmation is the sacrament of the common priesthood of the laity: every Christian is meant to share in degree in the priesthood of Christ, as we shall see in detail later on; every Christian is called to be with Christ as mediator, to help in the redemptive work of Christ in the world, to lead the world back to love through love. And that means that he must have knowledge and bravery and initiative and persevering strength; but it means that they must be gifts received, they must be the fruit of docility to the Spirit. It is the meek who, possessing the land, can sanctify and sweeten the land; it is those who obey the Spirit through the gift of piety who can give full and creative service to the family; it is those who have filled their hearts with the sense of God's continuous care and providence, and so have identified their wills with His, and can live with care-free abandon to His good pleasure, who can do in the world the will of the Father in union with the Son.

Fr. Gerald Vann, O.P. (The Divine Pity: A Study in the Social Implications of the Beatitutdes, page 70)

[apenitentialprayer]

This is indeed the very essence of the life of religion as opposed to the life of self-will: [...] There is no such thing as chance: we tend to think too readily in terms of accident and coincidence and fate and "the way things turn out," and so perhaps we miss any indication of the way our duty lies, and many an opportunity to do service to love. This sense of the pervasive providence of God is a thing we have to learn by constant reference and attention: whatever happens is His will, and has meaning, and is meant to be of use; whatever happens will be turned eventually to good in His restoring and redemptive power; whatever happens, therefore, I must accept with equanimity in my deepest heart, however sad or tragic it may be, because in Him all things are one, and there is nothing that escapes His providence and lies outside His purposes for the world.  Our Father ... Thy will be done: the two things go together; it is because we say the first that we can hope to mean the second.

Fr. Gerald Vann, O.P. (The Divine Pity: A Study in the Social Implications of the Beatitutdes, pages 66-67)