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Pope Benedict on the Subject of the Prayer of Christ

In 06 Scripture & Theology on 2011/12/16 at 9:55 AM

The Pope recently began a new preaching cycle which centers on the subject of the prayer of Christ which, he said, was “like a hidden canal irrigating His life, relationships and actions, and guiding Him with increasing firmness to the total gift of self, in keeping with the loving plan of God the Father”.

One particularly significant moment of prayer followed the Baptism of Jesus in the Jordan. This, the Pope noted, poses a query as to why Jesus, Who was without sin, should have chosen to submit Himself to John’s Baptism of penance and conversion. John the Baptist himself raised the question, saying “I need to be baptised by you, and do you come to me?”. The Holy Father explained how “by emerging Himself in the Jordan River, Jesus … expressed His solidarity with people who recognise their sins, who chose to repent and change their lives. He helps us to understand that being part of the people of God means entering into a new life, a life in conformity with God. By this gesture Jesus anticipated the cross, beginning His active life by taking the place of sinners, bearing the weight of the sin of all humankind on His shoulders”.

By praying after His Baptism, Jesus demonstrates His intimate bond with the Father, “experiencing His paternity and apprehending the demanding beauty of His love. Speaking to God, Jesus receives confirmation of His mission”, with the words that resound from on high: “This is my son, the Beloved” and with the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Him. “Through prayer”, the Pope said, “Jesus lives in uninterrupted contact with the Father in order to achieve His project of love for mankind”. It is in this profound union with the Father that Jesus made the move for the hidden life of Nazareth to His public ministry.

Jesus’ prayer had its roots in His family, deeply attached to the religious tradition of the People of Israel, but its “most profound and essential origin is in the fact that He is the Son of God, in a unique relationship with God the Father”. In the Gospel narratives “the setting for Jesus’ prayers always stands at the crossroads between the traditions of His people and the novelty of a personal and unique rapport with God. The ‘deserted place’ to which He often retired, the ‘mountain’ He ascended to pray and the ‘night’ which gave Him solitude, all recall phases of God’s revelation in the Old Testament and indicate the continuity of His plan of salvation”.

“Jesus’ prayer enters into all stages of His ministry and into every day of His life. It is not interrupted by fatigue. Quite the contrary, the Gospels make it clear that Jesus was wont to spend part of the night in prayer, … and when the decisions to be taken become more urgent and complex, His prayer becomes longer and more intense”.

“Contemplating Jesus’ prayer, we should ask ourselves how we pray”, said Benedict XVI, “and how much time we dedicate to our relationship with God”. In this context he highlighted “the importance of the prayerful reading of Holy Scripture. … Listening, meditating and remaining in silence before the Lord is an art we learn through constant practice”, he said.

“Christians are today called “to be witnesses of prayer, because our world often remains closed to the divine, to the hope which leads to the encounter with God. Through profound friendship with Jesus, by living in Him and with Him as children of the Father, through faithful and constant prayer, we can open ourselves to heaven and God. Indeed, by following the paths of prayer, … we can also help others to follow them”.

In conclusion, the Holy Father exhorted the faithful “to maintain an intense relationship with God, to pray, not intermittently but constantly and faithfully, so as to illuminate our lives as Jesus taught us. And let us ask Him to help us communicate with those around us, with those whom we meet on our journey, transmitting to them the joy of meeting the Lord, light of life”.

 

Copyright © Vatican Information Service Vatican City                                                                   VIS 20111130 (730)

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Advent Spiritual Journey by Fr. Mark Lawlor

In 06 Scripture & Theology on 2011/12/08 at 12:00 AM

Mary, Queen of Heaven:   The season of Advent is a spiritual journey.  Three saints of great prominence during the season of Advent are St. Joseph, St. John the Baptist and Mary, the Blessed Mother.

In this reflection, we look to Mary, the Blessed Mother and the Queen of Heaven.  God choose her from all women of all time to be the mother of the Divine Son of God.  Our Lord was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit and born of Mary.  She is the Mother of the Church, which is the Mystical Body of Christ.  At the time of the Annunciation, Mary’s responded to the angel Gabriel with the words, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done to me according to your word.”  [Luke 1:38]  Mary’s “yes” to God encourages us to say “yes” to God.  We will grow in the spiritual life by meditating on the mysteries of the holy rosary.

During Advent, there are two great Feasts of Mary.  On December 8th, we will celebrate the Solemnity of her Immaculate Conception, which is a Holy Day of Obligation.  The teaching of the Church is that from the first instant of her conception, Mary was kept free from the stain of original sin by a singular grace and the privilege of Almighty God, in view of the foreseen merits of Jesus Christ, our Savior.   In 1846, the bishops of the United States of America proclaimed that Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception as our national patroness.

Also in Advent we have the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12.  This feast recalls the apparitions of Mary at the hill of Tepeyac, Mexico in 1531 to the native convert, St. Juan Diego.  Pope Pius XII named Our Lady of Guadalupe the “Patroness of the Americas.”

Blessed John Paul II called Mary, “the Star of the New Evangelization.”  Mary under the title of Our Lady of Guadalupe is especially invoked as the patroness of the unborn as the miraculous image portrays Mary as being pregnant.  When the Queen of Heaven appeared to Juan Diego, she requested that a shrine be built on the site of the apparitions and to relay her message to the bishop.  When the bishop requested some sign of Mary’s request, our Lady provided roses which Juan Diego carried in his tilma.  When Juan presented the roses to the bishop, the miraculous image was formed.  The original image is still venerated in the basilica after 480 years.  The news of the apparitions and the miraculous image were a catalyst that increased Christian devotion and conversions.  The Feast Our Lady of Guadalupe is thus an important & popular celebration for all those of Mexican heritage and for the Faithful of North and South America.

We may see ourselves as being on a spiritual journey.  Along the way we honor those saints who cooperated with the divine plan and prepared for the coming of the Lord.

St. John the Baptist, St. Joseph, & Mary, Our Blessed Mother & Queen of Heaven.   Please pray for us.

In peace,  Fr. Mark

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Validity of Gospels

In 06 Scripture & Theology on 2011/11/03 at 1:11 AM

Vatican Council II: Dogmatic Constitution on Revelation “ Dei Verbum ”, # 18-19

Among all the Scriptures, even those of the New Testament, the Gospels have a special pre-eminence, and rightly so, for they are the principal witness for the life and teaching of the incarnate Word, our savior. The Church has always and everywhere held and continues to hold that the four Gospels are of apostolic origin. For what the Apostles preached in fulfillment of the commission of Christ, afterwards they themselves and apostolic men, under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, handed on to us in writing: the foundation of faith, namely, the fourfold Gospel, according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

Holy Mother Church has firmly and with absolute constancy held, and continues to hold, that the four Gospels just named, whose historical character the Church unhesitatingly asserts, faithfully hand on what Jesus Christ, while living among men, really did and taught for their eternal salvation until the day He was taken up into heaven (Acts 1,1-2). Indeed, after the Ascension of the Lord the Apostles handed on to their hearers what He had said and done. This they did with that clearer understanding which they enjoyed after they had been instructed by the glorious events of Christ’s life and taught by the light of the Spirit of truth (Jn 14,26).

The sacred authors wrote the four Gospels, selecting some things from the many which had been handed on by word of mouth or in writing, reducing some of them to a synthesis, explaining some things in view of the situation of their churches and preserving the form of proclamation but always in such fashion that they told us the honest truth about Jesus. For their intention in writing was that either from their own memory and recollections, or from the witness of those who “themselves from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word” we might know “the truth concerning those matters about which we have been instructed” (Lk 1, 1-4).

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Mary, Our Mother

In 06 Scripture & Theology on 2011/10/06 at 1:00 AM

The months of October and May are special Marian Months, although we honor our Blessed Mother throughout the year with devotions, memorials and feasts.  The celebration of Mother’s Day actually follows an ancient tradition of honoring the lives of Mary and her mother, St. Anne.

On May 13 we celebrate the Memorial of Our Lady of Fatima which recalls the first apparition of the Blessed Mother, in Fatima, Portugal to three shepherd children in 1917.    After a series of apparitions in 1917, many witnessed the “miracle of the sun” on October 13.  The core message of the apparitions of Fatima is that there is a need for: the practice of penance, the frequent recitation of the rosary, the practice of prayer and mortification for the conversion of sinners, prayers for priests, increased devotion of the Faithful of the world to the immaculate Heart of Mary, and the offering of Holy Communion of reparation on the first Saturday of each month.  The fruits of these spiritual efforts will be the salvation of souls and and advances in peace.  Ninety-four years after the apparitions, Fatima remains a place of pilgrimage and spirituality.

On May 31, we celebrate the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth, which we recognize as the second Joyful Mystery of the Holy Rosary.  As the bearer of the Savior and Redeemer, Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth in her time of need.

Mary’s title “Mother of God” was defined by the Council of Ephesus in the year 431.  While defending Mary’s divine maternity, the bishops of the Church sought to clarify the teaching of Christ’s divine nature.  Jesus is truly divine and yet like us in all ways except for sin.  The Divine Son was born in time of an earthly mother.  Mary has a Mother’s Love for her Son and Savior.  We trust in her gentle intercession.  She is our spiritual mother.  Mary under the title, Mother of God, is the principal patroness of the Diocese of Charlotte.  The Lord entrusted His mother to the beloved disciple from the cross.  Jn 19:25-27.  As we are called to be the disciples of today, we may see in this act that Mary is the mother of the Church, which is the Body of Christ.

On December 8th, the universal Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. The teaching of the Church is that from the first instant of her conception, Mary was kept free from the stain of original sin by a singular grace and the privilege of Almighty God, in view of the foreseen merits of Jesus Christ, our eternal Savior.  In 1846, the bishops of the United States of America proclaimed that Mary under the title of the Immaculate Conception is our national patroness.

All of the Faithful are encouraged to pray the rosary.  It is especially important during the months of May and October and on the Feasts of the Blessed Mother.  I recommend that petitions be expressed prior to each decade of the rosary. One may pray for peace in the world, for vocations, for sanctity and spiritual renewal for those in religious vocations and for greater respect for God’s gift of life.  Scripture has it that we should pray for those who govern and have offices of civil authority.  (At times, we may pray for their enlightenment and conversion.)

Blessed John Paul II encouraged a “daily rosary.” He wrote in his apostolic letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae of 2002: “the Rosary is by its nature a prayer for peace, since it consists in the contemplation of Christ, the Prince of peace, the one who is “our peace” Eph. 2:14.  Anyone who assimilates the mystery of Christ – and this is clearly the goal of the Rosary – learns the secret of peace and makes it his life’s project.  Moreover, by virtue of its meditative character, with the tranquil succession of Hail Marys, the rosary has a peaceful effect on those who pray it, disposing them to receive and experience in their innermost depths, and to spread around them, that true peace which is the special gift of the Risen Lord. Jn 14: 27, 20-21.

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God and Queen of Peace that we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.  Fr. Lawlor

Fr. Mark Lawlor is the Pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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Benedict XVI It is Necessary to Restore the Primacy of God in the World

In 06 Scripture & Theology on 2011/09/14 at 6:00 AM

 In his homily (if 9/11, the Holy Father referred to the Gospel narrative of the bread from heaven. The reaction of Jesus’ disciples, many of whom abandoned Him at that time is, he said, similar to our own resistance before “the total gift Christ makes of Himself. Because welcoming this gift means losing ourselves, allowing ourselves to be absorbed and transformed to the point of living in Him”.

Our difficulty lies in the fact that “we often confuse freedom with a lack of constraints, with the conviction that we can do everything alone, without God Who is seen as a restriction to our freedom, But this illusion soon turns to disappointment, creating disquiet and fear”.

Some ideologies leave God to one side, or simply tolerate Him as a private choice which should not interfere with public life. They seek to organise society on the foundation of the economy and the force of power. However, said the Pope, “history has dramatically shown us” the failure of attempts to ensure material well being and peace while ignoring God and His revelation.

For this reason, “it is the primacy of God which we must, first and foremost, restore in our world and our lives, because it is this primacy which allows us to rediscover the truth of who we are; and it is in knowing and following the will of God that we discover our own good”.

The Eucharist, a source for positive social development.  The starting point for the restoration of the primacy of God must be the Eucharist, in which “God gives Himself to us, so as to open our lives to Him”.  Eucharistic communion “supports and transforms daily life”. Moreover, the history of the Church is replete with saints “whose lives are an eloquent sign of how, from communion with the Lord, from the Eucharist, there arises a new and intense sense of responsibility at all levels of community life, a positive form of social development which focuses on human beings, especially the poor, the sick and the needy”.

“Eucharistic spirituality is, then, the true antidote to the selfishness and egoism that often characterise daily life”. Likewise, it is “the heart of an ecclesial community that knows how to overcome divisions and conflicts, and to make use of its various charisms and ministries, placing them all at the service of the unity of the Church”.

Eucharistic spirituality is also the path by which to restore dignity to man and, therefore, “to the work he does, at the same time seeking to conciliate work with a time for rest and for the family, and to overcome the insecurity of precarious work and the problems of unemployment”.  “There is nothing that is truly human that cannot be fully experienced in the Eucharist”, the Holy Father concluded. “May daily life, then, become a place for spiritual development, so as to experience the primacy of God in all circumstances”.

Vatican Information Service, Holy See Press Officehttp://www.visnews-en.blogspot.com/

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Pastoral Reflection: The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick

In 06 Scripture & Theology on 2011/08/25 at 12:00 AM

Last year, our parish was involved in more than 40 funerals.  These are a reminder of the importance of the pastoral care of the sick and the dying.  In a sense, we should all be preparing for the day when we will be called from this life to our eternal reward.  Among the spiritual preparations for eternal life is the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.  We need to remember that the Sacrament of Anointing is not solely reserved for the dying but that it is also for the sick.  Almost 50 years ago, the Bishops of the Second Vatican Council made this point in the Document on the Liturgy, SACROSANCTUM CONCILIUM, of December 4, 1963: “Extreme Unction,” which may also and more fittingly be called “Anointing of the Sick, is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death.  Hence, as soon as any one of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrive.” [#73]

The Catechism of the Catholic Church lists two sacraments of healing: The Sacrament of Penance and the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.  The Lord Jesus in the Divine Physician of our bodies and souls.  Recall that during His public ministry, the Lord forgave the sins of the paralytic and also restore him to bodily health [Matt.9: 2-8]  There is a link between bodily and spiritual health.  The will of the Lord is that His healing ministry continues in the Church through His priests.  In the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, there is a conferral of grace and a prayer for the healing of body and soul.  There are times when a spiritual healing may actually be more profound than a physical healing.  Our illness or sufferings may be a sharing in the cross of Christ.

There are several Scriptural references for anointing.  A Scriptural basis for the Sacrament of Anointing is the following from the Letter of St. James: “Is anyone among you suffering?  He should pray.  Is anyone in good spirits?  He should sing praise.  Is anyone among you sick?  He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint (him) with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up.  If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.  [James 5:13-15]

The oil that is used for the Sacrament of Anointing is blessed in the Cathedral by the bishop during the Chrism Mass during Holy Week.  There are two anointings in the celebration of the sacrament.  First the priest anoints the forehead with the words, “Through this holy anointing may the Lord in His love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit.”  The hands are then anointed with the words, “May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up.”

The sacrament has the following effects: the uniting of the sick person to the passion of Christ for his or her own good and for that of the whole Church; the strengthening, peace, and courage to endure in a Christian manner the sufferings of illness or old age; the forgiveness of sin (if the person is not able to obtain forgiveness through the Sacrament of Penance); the restoration of health, if it is conducive to the salvation of his soul and the preparation for the passing of this life to eternal life.  [Catechism, 1532]

The Catechism teaches that anyone who is preparing for surgery should request the Sacrament of Anointing.  The practice of anesthesia itself is risky.  The sacrament is appropriate for anyone who has chronic pain, a terminal illness, a mental illness or for one who is advance in year.  Sometimes a parishioner will inform me that he or she recently had surgery.  “I have asked, Did you call the parish office?”  Sometimes I hear the following: “No, I knew that you were busy so I didn’t want to bother you.”  “Priests,  particularly pastors, should remember that is is their duty to care for the sick by personal visits and other acts of kindness. [#35] If you or one of your loved ones is in need of the sacrament, please call me.  Prior to surgery, one may request the sacrament at the sacristy after on of the Masses.  Since my ordination, I have spent part of each week visiting parishioners who are hospitalized, in nursing homes or who are homebound.  I enjoy these visits.  In peace, Fr. Mark

Fr. Mark Lawlor is the pastor of the Catholic Parish of St. Vincent Catholic in Charlotte, North Carolina.

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Benedict XVI – Parable of the Sower

In 06 Scripture & Theology on 2011/08/23 at 11:11 PM

God Attract Us With the Goodness of His Incarnate Son

“Jesus addresses the multitude with the famous parable of the sower. “In some way this is an ‘autobiographical’ episode”, he said, “because it reflects Jesus’ own experience as a preacher. He identifies Himself with the sower who, while spreading the good seed of God’s Word, becomes aware of the differing effects it produces depending on the way it is accepted. There are those who listen superficially but fail to welcome it; those who accept it immediately but have no constancy and lose everything; those who are overwhelmed by the cares and lures of the world, and those who receive and absorb it like good soil, for them the Word brings forth abundant fruit.

“Yet this Gospel narrative also highlights the ‘method’ of Jesus’ preaching; in other words, His use of parables”, the Holy Father added. “His disciples ask Him: ‘why do you speak to them in parables?’ Jesus replies by distinguishing between the disciples and the crowds: to the former, who have already chosen to follow Him, He can speak openly of the Kingdom of God, but to others He has to use parables in order to simulate a decision, a conversion of heart. This is because parables, by their nature, require an effort of interpretation, they appeal to our intelligence but also to our freedom.

…In the final analysis the true ‘Parable’ of God is Jesus Himself … Who, in human form, both hides and reveals divinity. Thus, God does not force us to believe in Him; rather, He draws us to Him with the truth and goodness of His incarnate Son. Love, in fact, always respects freedom”.

VATICAN CITY, 10 JUL 2011 ANG/VIS 20110711 (420)

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Benedict XVI “Upon this rock I will build my Church”

In 06 Scripture & Theology on 2011/08/22 at 11:11 AM

The Lord directly questioned the Twelve: “But who do you say that I am?”. Peter spoke enthusiastically and authoritatively on behalf of them all: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”. This solemn profession of faith the Church continues to repeat since then.

Today too, we long to proclaim with an innermost conviction: “Yes, Jesus, you are the Christ, the Son of the living God!”. Let us do so in the awareness that Christ is the true “treasure” (Mt 13,44) for whom it is worth sacrificing everything; he is the friend who never abandons us for he knows the most intimate expectations of our hearts. Jesus is the “Son of the living God”, the promised Messiah who came down to earth to offer humanity salvation and to satisfy the thirst for life and love that dwells in every human being. What an advantage humanity would have in welcoming this proclamation which brings with it joy and peace!

“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God”. Jesus answers Peter’s inspired profession of faith: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven”. This is the first time that Jesus speaks of the Church, whose mission is the actuation of God’s great design to gather the whole of humanity into a single family in Christ. Peter’s mission, and that of his Successors, is precisely to serve this unity of the one Church of God formed of Jews and pagans of all peoples; his indispensable ministry is to ensure that she is never identified with a single nation, with a single culture, but is the Church of all peoples – to make present among men and women, scarred by innumerable divisions and conflicts, God’s peace and the renewing power of his love. This, then, is the special mission of the Pope, Bishop of Rome and Successor of Peter: to serve the inner unity that comes from God’s peace, the unity of those who have become brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.

Libreria Editrice Vaticana

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How Do I Love You? Let Me Count the Ways

In 06 Scripture & Theology on 2011/08/10 at 7:00 AM

The Beatitudes describe the most perfect fruits of the Holy Spirit in man.  They are the most divine-like human acts that men can perform, and Christ attached a reward to them both in this life and in the next.  The Beatitudes promise blessing and redemption to all those whose moral conduct meets the demands Christ sets.

The Beatitudes correspond to man’s natural desire for happiness: a desire of divine origin that God has placed into the heart of men to draw them to Himself, He who alone can fulfill that desire.

The Beatitudes are the gateway to the Sermon on the Mount.  This discourse contains various teachings that essentially deal with the attitudes and heart condition a person must have TO enter the Kingdom of Heaven: simply, how one relates to God as Father and the human beings as siblings.

The Beatitudes depict the countenance of Jesus Christ and portray his charity.  They are descriptions of His perfect humanity, for He  is the model for them.  And in them, He present the New Law: “Love one another as I have loved you.”

Jesus Christ was the greatest revolutionary that walked the earth.  He made a complete change from the generally accepted human values to this new law.  The message was that only in serving God could man achieve the happiness he desired.  Thus,  Jesus Christ clarified the attitudes and moral behavior that his perfect nature required of all those who desire to follow Him.

The Beatitudes teach us that the real success of our lives is to love and fulfill God’s Will for us.  They are an invitation to an upright and worthy life.  Will you accept this Divine invitation?

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.  Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when men 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. Matt. 5:12.

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Beatitudes Vocabulary

In 06 Scripture & Theology on 2011/07/30 at 6:56 AM

Pure in Spirit/Simplicity

The poor in spirit are those who remember that all they are and have is from God and give back to Him whatever He wants of them. We live the virtue of simplicity when we maintain the proper intention in our love for Our Lord.  Simplicity, which is close to humility, will lead us to ask forgiveness often; it leads us to admit and correct our mistakes.

The  spirit of divine sonship means being completely dependent on our Heavenly Father  by abandoning ourselves confidently to his loving Providence, just as a child entrusts everything to its father.  A child does not hold grudges, is ignorant of duplicity or fraud, does not deceive, does not seek revenge, easily forgets, does not store up grievances and has no deep sorrows.

Simplicity is one of the principal manifestations of spiritual childhood. It is the result of becoming defenseless before God like a vulnerable and trusting child before its father. Spiritual childhood always holds to the freshness of love in a soul by not dwelling on adverse experience.

The simple person is not naive yet neither suspicious, prudent but not distrustful. He lives the teaching of the Christ, being wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Thus, the most sublime doctrine becomes accessible to the most simple souls.

The real cause of egotism and selfishness is pride.  It looks at everything from our its own viewpoint and it’s own agenda.  Pride inflates one’s own abilities, aggrandize one’s own qualities and demands the attention of others to them.  Consequently, proud people are egocentric and selfish, not really knowing how to love anyone but themselves, loving only for what they can obtain from others for themselves.

To conquer this vice, we must fix our gaze on Christ, admitting our mistakes and correcting them. Thus, we will grow in humility, thanking God for all the benefits received from Him, allowing ourselves to be helped, seeking advice, stopping excusing our sins and failures, asking forgiveness of those we offend.

MEEKNESS / HUMILITY

Meekness is rooted in spiritual strength, and it is really the meek who are truly strong. Meekness blunts the sharp arrows of anger like a protective shield.  Meekness ignores impatience, irritation, bad tempered and hateful attacks, actions which reveal fundamental weakness.  Meekness sets its face against those pointless displays of violence which at the bottom are really signs of weakness.

Meekness does not waste energy on anger and passes it by in silence or with a smile that is a disarming weapon of defense.  A meek person suffers unjust persecution, remaining serene and humble, not giving way to resentment or discouragement.

A lack of humility and interior peace are at the bottom of irritability.   Explosive irritability corrodes love.  It destroys peace in prayer because it broods over perceived injuries and forgets about God to whom it should appeal for help.

The lack of meekness comes from pride.  To master one’s self is to prevent quick and wounding responses.  Thus, the meek will inherit the earth because they will not be slaves to impatience and bad temper.  Instead, they will be serene in the possession of God with their souls seeking Him in prayer. Through kind-heartedness and understanding the people around them, they will, instead, win friendship and love.

We learn to be humble by meditating on the Passion of our Lord who suffered so many humiliations and by considering His humility in the Holy Eucharist where He waits for us to visit Him and speak with him.  Therefore, we can walk the way of meekness accepting humiliations, accepting our defects and struggling to overcome them.  Then, we will find in Him, who carries the greatest portion of our burdens, a yoke that is easy and a burden that is light.

PURE OF HEART

To be clean of heart means to be selfless, viewing all from God’s point of view rather than our own.  This singleness of purpose is putting God first, without self-deception or compromise, keeping the heart healthy and clean so as to please God.

In order to be pure of heart, we need to remove all obstacles. One’s whole being is defiled by what occurs in the heart.  Evil desires and intentions are conceived in the heart before they become an external reality.  It is in the heart that God is either loved or offended.  It is what we speak from the heart that defiles us. We must look for God in every circumstance and purify ourselves by asking forgiveness for our sins and errors.

God himself and His creation can only been seen by those whose intentions and attitudes are good.   God is looking for each one so that a Christian who sincerely searches for Christ will find him because Christ is searching for him.

MERCY

We will only have mercy in our hearts when we offer mercy, when we forgive, our enemies from the example and with the help of Christ.

Mercy is not simply a matter of giving alms to the poor, but also of being understanding of other people’s defects, overlooking them, helping them not only to cope with them but to love  them despite whatever defects they may have.  Mercy also suffers and rejoices with others.

PEACEMAKER

Peace is a clear sign of God’s nearness and closeness to us.  St. Paul consistently exhorted the first Christians to live in peace, saying that the God of love and peace would be with them. True peace results from holiness. St. Augustine also describes true peace as the tranquility of order.

True peace means being concerned about others, being interested in their plans and projects, their joys and sorrows.  God wants us Christians to bring peace and joy with us wherever we go.  Then, we can say as St. Paul ends his first letter to the Corinthians: “My love be with you in Christ Jesus.”

All the Beatitudes express in figurative language the promised reward of heaven.

So, in conclusion, what does the spirit of the Beatitudes mean to the Christian?  It means viewing the world as Christ views it and then reacting to circumstances as Christ Himself would react.  For us, the real Christian spirit is summarized in the eight Beatitudes and in the life of Our Master to whose likeness we desire to be transformed.