Meditation on the Beatitudes

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Tonight I sit at the feet of Jesus on the mountainside in Galilee. The Gospel of Matthew, chapter five, records the words. They have been called the constitution of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Beatitudes. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Lord, I want to be poor in spirit. To know how much I need You. To not pretend I am self-sufficient. To stand before You with empty hands and let You fill them. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Lord, I bring You my mourning. The losses I am still grieving. Comfort me, not with quick fixes, but with Your presence in the sadness. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Lord, the meek are not the doormats. The meek are the ones whose strength is under the control of love. Make me meek. Strong, but not aggressive. Bold, but not domineering. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Lord, give me a hunger for what is right. Not just for what is comfortable. Not just for what gets me ahead. For what is actually right in Your eyes. And then satisfy that hunger. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Lord, You forgive me as I forgive others. Make me merciful. Especially toward the difficult ones. Especially toward myself. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Lord, purify my heart. The motives that are mixed. The desires that are off-center. The longings that have been distorted by sin. Cleanse me, so that I can see You more clearly. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Lord, make me a peacemaker. Not a peacekeeper, who avoids conflict at the cost of truth. A peacemaker, who pursues true peace through justice and reconciliation. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Lord, when I am misunderstood, criticized, or excluded for following You, give me the grace to count it joy. The persecuted are blessed because they are sharing in Your sufferings. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. Lord, the world's measure of blessedness is success, comfort, applause. Yours is different. The blessed are not the famous. The blessed are the poor in spirit, the mournful, the meek, the merciful, the pure, the peacemakers, the persecuted. Tonight, I want to be among them. Make me a citizen of Your kingdom, not just an admirer of it. Saint Paul writes in Romans twelve, Be transformed by the renewal of your mind. Renew my mind tonight, Lord, with the Beatitudes. Let them shape how I see what is valuable. Let them shape what I pursue. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.