Blessed Are You

Today’s Gospel (Mt 5:1-12a) is the great and wonderful teaching of Jesus on the Beatitudes:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit…
Blessed are those who mourn…
Blessed are the meek…
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness…
Blessed are the merciful…
Blessed are the clean of heart…
Blessed are the peacemakers…
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness…
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.”  (NAB)

These are the commandments of holiness. These map the way toward sanctity. Let’s take time today, on this Solemnity of All Saints, to seriously review and contemplate the Beatitudes to make an honest assessment of where we are on each of them. And then, let us take our deficiencies to our Lord, and ask him to give us the wisdom, courage, and grace we need to live out the Beatitudes in our life, beginning today! Regardless of our profession or vocation, as true children of Almighty God, we are all called to be saints.