Word to the Wise
Monday, June 10, 2024 - Monday in the 10th Week in Ordinary Time
[1 Kgs 17:1-6 and Matt 5:1-12]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......" [Matthew]
Our gospel scripture moves now to the Gospel According to Matthew for daily Eucharist. And it begins with the Sermon on the Mount. If one needs a catechism of Christian life, one will find it in chapters five through seven of Matthew, as we shall see over the next few days. Here we encounter Jesus the teacher. Like Moses he goes up a mountain and hands now a "new commandment." He assumes the posture of a teacher in his day - sitting - with disciples sitting at his feet or standing around him. The evangelist Matthew has gathered into this "sermon" a wide range of Jesus' teachings.
We begin with the familiar "beatitudes" with the refrain, "Blessed are...." It is important to remember that Jesus is not saying that misery is itself a blessing, but rather, for the disciple Jesus offers hope which can be in short supply in a time of misery and suffering. This can be seen in the first four beatitudes. The second four beatitudes challenge a disciple to be merciful, clean of heart, to be peacemakers and to stand up for the Kingdom of heaven. How this may happen is what the rest of the Sermon on the Mount is all about! Stay tuned! AMEN