Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 5, 1-12a
When Jesus 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.”
Be blessed!
1. The Church Triumphant. The Church in heaven; these are saints known by the Church as well as those saints known only to God. Today, we remember the saints, but not the saint cards you carry in your wallet or their statues in a church. Today, we celebrate mainly the anonymous Saints, people who have shown their love of God in their lives. They have not been canonized by the Pope but are in Heaven for their great work on Earth. Today, we celebrate all those who through their daily lives have given us a bit of Jesus.
2. Blessed. I’d like to quote Nº 162 of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, “Christus Vivit” – ‘Christ Lives’ – of the Holy Father Francis, to young people and to the entire people of God. But I would also remind you that you won’t become holy and find fulfilment by copying others. Imitating the Saints does not mean copying their lifestyle and their way of living holiness: “There are some testimonies that may prove helpful and inspiring, but that we are not meant to copy, for that could even lead us astray from the one specific path that the Lord has in mind for us”.
You have to discover who you are and develop your own way of being holy, whatever others may say or think. Becoming a saint means becoming more fully yourself, becoming what the Lord wished to dream and create, and not a photocopy. Your life ought to be a prophetic stimulus to others and leave a mark on this world, the unique mark that only you can leave. Whereas if you simply copy someone else, you will deprive this earth, and heaven too, of something that no one else can offer.”
3) Heaven: Saint John Bosco used to tell his kids, “In heaven we will have a great feast.” We must learn that we begin to live happiness here, but we reach its fullness only in Heaven. Today, God invites you to know that the key to life is to be happy. We can rejoice in Jesus, with Jesus, and for Jesus. With Jesus, everything is easier. He reminds us that our sanctification comes about in what we habitually do in life: in our home, at our workplace, in our daily life, and in the things we need to get done every day. It’s up to you whether each day is heaven or hell for you, so give it your all!
Let’s make the best of life and remember that something good is on the way!
God bless you, be with you and protect you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
