Solemnity of All Saints
Lectionary: 667
Lectionary: 667
I, John, saw
another angel come up from the East,
holding the seal of the living God.
He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels
who were given power to damage the land and the sea,
“Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees
until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,
one hundred and forty-four thousand marked
from every tribe of the children of Israel.
After this I had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
They cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,
and from the Lamb.”
All the angels stood around the throne
and around the elders and the four living creatures.
They prostrated themselves before the throne,
worshiped God, and exclaimed:
“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might
be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,
“Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”
I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.”
He said to me,
“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.”
holding the seal of the living God.
He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels
who were given power to damage the land and the sea,
“Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees
until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,
one hundred and forty-four thousand marked
from every tribe of the children of Israel.
After this I had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
They cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,
and from the Lamb.”
All the angels stood around the throne
and around the elders and the four living creatures.
They prostrated themselves before the throne,
worshiped God, and exclaimed:
“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might
be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,
“Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”
I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.”
He said to me,
“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.”
Responsorial PsalmPS 24:1BC-2, 3-4AB, 5-6
R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see
your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Reading 21 JN 3:1-3
Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.
GospelMT 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.”
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.”
Meditation: "Rejoice
and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven"
What
is the good life which God intends for us? And how is it related with the
ultimate end or purpose of life? Is it not our desire and longing for true
happiness, which is none other than the complete good, the sum of all goods,
leaving nothing more to be desired? Jesus addresses this question in his sermon
on the mount. The heart of Jesus' message is that we can live a very happy
life. The call to holiness, to be saints who joyfully pursue God's will for
their lives, can be found in these eight beatitudes. Jesus' beatitudes sum up
our calling or vocation – to live a life of the beatitudes. The word beatitude
literally means "happiness" or "blessedness".
What
is the significance of Jesus' beatitudes, and why are they so central to his
teaching? The beatitudes respond to the natural desire for happiness that God
has placed in every heart. They teach us the final end to which God calls us,
namely the coming of God's kingdom (Matthew 4:17), the vision of God (Matthew
5:8; 1 John 2;1), entering into the joy of the Lord (Matthew 25:21-23)and into
his rest (Hebrews 4:7-11). Jesus'
beatitudes also confront us with decisive choices concerning the life we pursue
here on earth and the use we make of the goods he puts at our disposal. God
alone satisfies. Theresa of Avila's prayer book contained a bookmark which she
wrote: "Let nothing disturb you,
let nothing frighten you; All things pass: God never changes. Patience achieves
all it strives for. Whoever has God lacks nothing, God alone suffices." Is
God enough for you? God offers us the greatest good possible – abundant life in
Jesus Christ (John 10:10) and the promise of unending joy and happiness with
God. Do you seek the highest good, the total good, which is above all else?
The
beatitudes which Jesus offers us are a sign of contradiction to the world's
understanding of happiness and joy. How can one possibly find happiness in
poverty, hunger, mourning, and persecution? Poverty of spirit finds ample room
and joy in possessing God as the greatest treasure possible. Hunger of the
spirit seeks nourishment and strength in God's word and Spirit. Sorrow and
mourning over wasted life and sin leads to joyful freedom from the burden of
guilt and spiritual oppression. God reveals to the humble of heart the true
source of abundant life and happiness. Jesus promises his disciples that the
joys of heaven will more than compensate for the troubles and hardships they
can expect in this world. Thomas Aquinas said: "No one can live without
joy. That is why a person deprived of spiritual joy goes after carnal
pleasures." Do you know the happiness of hungering and thirsting for God
alone?
"Lord
Jesus, increase my hunger for you and show me the way that leads to everlasting
peace and happiness. May I desire you above all else and find perfect joy in
doing your will."
 Winning the Only Contest that Matters |
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Solemnity of All
Saints
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Father James
Swanson, LC
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.
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in you with a faith
that never seeks to test you. I trust in you, hoping to learn to accept and
follow your will, even when it does not make sense to the way that I see
things. I love you, and I want to love you and those around me with a love similar
to the love you have shown to me.
Petition: Lord, help me accept sacrifices and overcome
difficulties in order to gain heaven.
1. The Beatitudes Don’t Make Sense: As we celebrate the Solemnity of All
Saints’ Day, the Church calls us to contemplate the promises Jesus makes to
all those who follow him. At first, they don’t seem very attractive. Jesus
lists a whole series of things that most people would probably avoid. They
would see them as interfering with their wants and desires, Yet, Jesus says
that we will be blessed if we have them in our lives. The word in the
original Greek is “makarios”, which means “happy”. This doesn’t make sense.
Am I supposed to be happy when I am poor, mourning, meek, lacking
righteousness, merciful, clean-hearted, a peacemaker, persecuted and
insulted? That’s not what I see on TV, in the movies, on the Internet. It’s
not what many of the people I know would advise me. So what is Jesus’ big
idea telling me this? Is he out to make me miserable?
2. Sacrificing for Worldly Glory: We can see that the whole picture
isn’t gloomy. Jesus says that if we accept these difficult things, there will
be rewards. And the rewards sound pretty good. In fact, they sound great: the
Kingdom of Heaven, comfort, inheriting the land, satisfaction in seeing
righteousness done, receiving mercy, seeing God, being a child of God, a
great reward in heaven. Who wouldn’t want these things? Don’t people work a
lot harder for a lot less? Don’t athletes train for years, giving up all
kinds of pleasures, submitting themselves to intense suffering at times only
for a brief moment of glory in some competition? Don’t businessmen work long
hours, giving up pleasures and making immense sacrifices just to make a few
more dollars? Isn’t what Jesus offers us much better than any of that? Better
than a gold medal or even a million dollars?
3. But I Am Not Interested in Heavenly
Things: Anything worth
having is worth making sacrifices for, and the more it is worth, the greater
sacrifices we should be willing to make for it. Perhaps a gold medal is worth
the sacrifices the athlete makes to win it. Perhaps a million dollars are
worth the sacrifices that a businessman makes to gain them. If heaven is
really all it is supposed to be, isn’t it worth all the sacrifices Jesus
mentions here – and more? If people are willing to make such great sacrifices
to gain things they cannot keep, shouldn’t I be willing to make even greater
sacrifices to gain the eternal happiness of heaven? Of course, many people
with the talent to do great things in this world never do them because they
just aren’t that interested or motivated. Is that why I don’t do more to gain
heaven? Just not that interested? What will it take to motivate me to really
desire what Jesus offers?
Conversation with Christ: Dear Jesus, I don’t do much to make
the Beatitudes come to life in me. Help me to give heaven its full
value. Help me to desire it more each day. Help me to meditate on what heaven
will be like so I will love it more and more and be willing to do anything –
whatever it takes – to get there and help many others arrive as well.
Resolution: I will spend at least five minutes
today imagining what heaven will be like. What would I like heaven to be
like? Jesus is setting up a mansion there for me. He is going to put
everything that he can in it to please me and make me happy. Spend some time
imagining what he would put there to surprise and delight me. He will go far
beyond my wildest imaginations, but by dedicating some time to this today, I
will increase my desire for heaven and to make the sacrifices necessary
to get there.
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SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, MATTHEW 5:1-12a
(Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; Psalm 24; 1 John 3:1-3)
(Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; Psalm 24; 1 John 3:1-3)
KEY VERSE: "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven" (v 12).
READING: In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus revealed the character he required of his followers. The "Beatitudes" that Jesus exalted was the attitude of trust and humility represented by the poor, the suffering and persecuted. At the time of Jesus, affliction was thought to be punishment for sin, and good health and material prosperity were seen as rewards for one's righteousness. Jesus reversed human expectations of those who were thought to be fortunate – the rich, powerful and contented people. He announced that true happiness was not found in wealth and power. Jesus promised eternal reward for all who humbly sought God's will despite hardships. But the "blessedness" that the disciples received was not some future glory; it is the blessedness that exists in the here and now. Jesus exemplified every Beatitude. He was poor (Mt 8:20) and gentle and meek (11:29). He grieved over sin and hungered and thirsted for God's justice (12:18). He was merciful (12:16-21) and single-hearted in his desire to do God's will (26:39). Jesus suffered persecution and died to bring about God's reign on earth (27:50). He gave us the ideal that every Christian should constantly pursue in order to be holy people, worthy of God's reign.
REFLECTING: Which of the Beatitudes do I most need to put into practice today?
PRAYING: Saints of God, help me to imitate your righteous and holy lives.
November 1
Solemnity of All Saints
Solemnity of All Saints
The earliest certain observance of a feast in honor of all the
saints is an early fourth-century commemoration of "all the martyrs."
In the early seventh century, after successive waves of invaders plundered the
catacombs, Pope Boniface IV gathered up some 28 wagonloads of bones and
reinterred them beneath the Pantheon, a Roman temple dedicated to all the gods.
The pope rededicated the shrine as a Christian church. According to Venerable
Bede, the pope intended "that the memory of all the saints might in the
future be honored in the place which had formerly been dedicated to the worship
not of gods but of demons" (On the Calculation of Time).
But the
rededication of the Pantheon, like the earlier commemoration of all the
martyrs, occurred in May. Many Eastern Churches still honor all the saints in
the spring, either during the Easter season or immediately after Pentecost.
How the
Western Church came to celebrate this feast, now recognized as a
solemnity, in November is a puzzle to historians. The Anglo-Saxon
theologian Alcuin observed the feast on November 1 in 800, as did his friend
Arno, Bishop of Salzburg. Rome finally adopted that date in the ninth century.
Comment:
This feast, first honored martyrs. Later, when Christians were free to worship according to their conscience, the Church acknowledged other paths to sanctity. In the early centuries the only criterion was popular acclaim, even when the bishop's approval became the final step in placing a commemoration on the calendar. The first papal canonization occurred in 993; the lengthy process now required to prove extraordinary sanctity took form in the last 500 years. Today's feast honors the obscure as well as the famous—the saints each of us have known.
This feast, first honored martyrs. Later, when Christians were free to worship according to their conscience, the Church acknowledged other paths to sanctity. In the early centuries the only criterion was popular acclaim, even when the bishop's approval became the final step in placing a commemoration on the calendar. The first papal canonization occurred in 993; the lengthy process now required to prove extraordinary sanctity took form in the last 500 years. Today's feast honors the obscure as well as the famous—the saints each of us have known.
Quote:
“After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.... [One of the elders] said to me, ‘These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb’” (Revelation 7:9,14).
“After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.... [One of the elders] said to me, ‘These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb’” (Revelation 7:9,14).
LECTIO: ALL
SAINTS - MATTHEW 5,1-12A
Lectio:
Friday, November 1, 2013
The Beatitudes
1. Listening to the text
a) Opening prayer:
Lord, the meaning of our life is to seek your Word, which came
to us in the person of Christ. Make me capable of welcoming what is new in the
Gospel of the Beatitudes, so that I may change my life. I would know nothing
about you were it not for the light of the words spoken by your Son Jesus, who
came to tell us of your marvels. When I am weak, if I go to Him, the Word of
God, then I become strong. When I act foolishly, the wisdom of his Gospel
restores me to relish God and the kindness of his love. He guides me to the
paths of life. When some deformity appears in me, I reflect on his Word and the
image of my personality becomes beautiful. When solitude tries to make me dry,
my spiritual marriage to him makes my life fruitful. When I discover some
sadness or unhappiness in myself, the thought of Him, my only good, opens the
way to joy. Therese of the Child Jesus has a saying that sums up the desire for
holiness as an intense search for God and a listening to others: «If you are
nothing, remember that Jesus is all. You must therefore lose your little
nothing into his infinite all and think of nothing else but this uniquely
lovable all…» (Letters, 87, to Marie Guérin).
b) Reading the Gospel:
Seeing the crowds, he went onto the mountain. And when he was
seated his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak. This is what he
taught them:
How blessed are the poor in spirit:
the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
Blessed are the gentle:
they shall have the earth as inheritance.
Blessed are those who mourn:
they shall be comforted.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for uprightness:
they shall have their fill.
Blessed are the merciful:
they shall have mercy shown them.
Blessed are the pure in heart:
they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers:
they shall be recognised as children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness:
the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
'Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.
How blessed are the poor in spirit:
the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
Blessed are the gentle:
they shall have the earth as inheritance.
Blessed are those who mourn:
they shall be comforted.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for uprightness:
they shall have their fill.
Blessed are the merciful:
they shall have mercy shown them.
Blessed are the pure in heart:
they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers:
they shall be recognised as children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness:
the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
'Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.
c) A moment of prayerful silence:
It is important to be able to listen in deep silence so that the
word of Christ may speak to us and so that the Word made flesh may dwell in us
and us in him. It is only in silent hearts that the Word of God can take root
and, on this Solemnity of All Saints, become flesh in us.
2. Light shed on the Word (lectio)
a) The context:
Jesus’ words on the Beatitudes that Matthew drew from his
sources, were condensed in short and isolated phrases, and the Evangelist has
placed them in a broader context, which Biblical scholars call the “sermon on
the mount” (chapters 5-7). This sermon is considered like the statutes or Magna
Carta that Jesus gave to the community as a normative and binding word that
defines a Christian.
The many themes contained in this long sermon are not to be seen
as collection of exhortations, but rather as a clear and radical indication of
the new attitude of the disciples towards God, oneself and the brothers and
sisters. Some expressions used by Jesus may seem exaggerated, but they are used
to stress reality and thus are realistic in the context although not so in a literary
sense: for instance in vv.29-30: «If your right eye should be your downfall,
tear it out and throw it away; for it will do you less harm to lose one part of
yourself than to have your whole body thrown into hell. And if your right hand
should be your downfall, cut it off and throw it away, for it will do you less
harm to lose one part of yourself than to have your whole body go to hell».
This manner of speaking indicates the effect desired to be created in the
reader, who must understand correctly Jesus’ words so as not to distort their
meaning.
Our focus, for liturgical reasons, will be on the first part of
the “sermon on the mount”, that is the part dealing with the proclamation of
the beatitudes (Mt 5:1-12).
b) Some details:
Matthew invites the reader to listen to the beatitudes
proclaimed by Jesus with a rich concentration of details. First he indicates
the place where Jesus proclaims his sermon: “Jesus went onto the mountain”
(5:1). That is why exegetes call this the “sermon on the mount” even though
Luke places this sermon on level ground (Lk 6:20-26). The geographic location
of the “mountain” could be a veiled reference to an episode in the OT quite
like ours: that is, when Moses proclaims the Decalogue on mount Sinai. It is
possible that Matthew wishes to present Jesus as the new Moses who proclaims
the new law.
Another detail that strikes us is the physical posture of Jesus
as he proclaims his words: “when he was seated”. This posture confers upon him
a note of authority in the legislative sense. The disciples and the “crowd”
gather around him: this detail shows what Jesus had to say was for all to hear.
We note that Jesus’ words do not present impossible matters, nor are they
addressed to a special group of people, nor do they mean to establish a code of
ethics exclusively for his inner circle. Jesus’ demands are concrete, binding
and decisively radical.
Someone branded Jesus’ sermon as follows: «For me, this is the
most important text in the history of humankind. It is addressed to all,
believers and non, and after twenty centuries it is still the only light still
shining in the darkness of violence, fear and solitude in which the West finds
itself because of its pride and selfishness» (Gilbert Cesbron).
The word “blessed” (in Greek makarioi) in our context does not
say “softly” but cries out happiness found throughout the Bible. For instance,
in the OT, those called “blessed” are those who live out the precepts of Wisdom
(Sir 25,7-10). The prayerful person of the Psalms defines “blessed” as those
who “fear”, or more precisely those who love the Lord, expressing this love in
the observance of the precepts contained in the word of God (Sal 1,1; 128,1).
Matthew’s originality lies in adding a secondary phrase that
specifies each beatitude: for instance, the main assertion “blessed are the
poor in spirit” is clarified by an added phrase “for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven”. Another difference with the OT is that Jesus’ words proclaim a saving
blessedness here and now and without any limitations. For Jesus, all can attain
happiness on condition that they remain united to Him.
c) The first three beatitudes:
i) The first cry concerns the poor: “How blessed are the poor in
spirit, the kingdom of heaven is theirs”. The reader may be shocked: how can
the poor be happy? In the Bible, the poor are those who empty themselves of
themselves and above all renounce the presumption of building their own present
and future alone, and thus leave room for and focus on God’s project and his Word.
The poor, always in the biblical sense, is not someone closed in on himself,
miserable, negative, but someone who nurtures being open to God and to others.
God is all his/her treasure. We could say with St.Teresa of Avila: happy are
those who experience that “God alone suffices!”, meaning that they are rich in
God.
A great modern spiritual author described poverty as follows: «As long as one does not empty one’s heart, God cannot fill it with himself. As you empty your heart, so does the Lord fill it. Poverty is emptiness, not only in what concerns the future but also the past. Not a regret or memory, not a worry or wish! God is not in the past, God is not in the future: He is in the present! Leave your past to God, leave your future to God. Your poverty is to live the present, the Presence of God who is Eternity» (Divo Barsotti).
This is the first beatitude, not just because it is the first of many, but because it seems to encapsulate all the others in their diversity.
A great modern spiritual author described poverty as follows: «As long as one does not empty one’s heart, God cannot fill it with himself. As you empty your heart, so does the Lord fill it. Poverty is emptiness, not only in what concerns the future but also the past. Not a regret or memory, not a worry or wish! God is not in the past, God is not in the future: He is in the present! Leave your past to God, leave your future to God. Your poverty is to live the present, the Presence of God who is Eternity» (Divo Barsotti).
This is the first beatitude, not just because it is the first of many, but because it seems to encapsulate all the others in their diversity.
ii) ”Blessed are those who mourn; they shall be comforted”. One
can mourn because of a great pain or suffering. This underlines the fact that
we are dealing with a serious situation even though the motives or the cause
are not mentioned. If we wish to identify today “those who mourn” we could
think of all the Christians who hold dear the demands of the kingdom and suffer
because of many negative aspects in the Church; rather than focus on holiness,
the Church presents divisions and lacerations. They may also be those who
suffer because of their sins and inconsistencies and who, in some way, slow
down their conversion. To these, only God can bring the news of “consolation””.
iii) ”Blessed are the gentle, they shall have the earth as
inheritance”. The third beatitude is about gentleness. This is a quality that
is not so popular today. Rather, for many it has a negative connotation and is
taken for weakness or the kind of imperturbability that knows how to control
calculatingly one’s own emotions. What does the word “gentle” mean in the Bible?
The gentle are remembered as those who enjoy great peace (Ps 37:10), are happy,
blessed and loved by God. They are also contrasted with evildoers, the ungodly
and sinners. Thus the OT gives us a wealth of meanings that do not allow for
one single definition.
In the NT the first time we meet the word is in Matthew 11:29: “Learn from me because I am gentle and humble of heart”. A second time is in Mt 21:5, when Matthew describes Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and cites the prophet Zechariah 2:9: “Behold your servant comes to you gentle”. Truly, Matthew’s Gospel may be described as the Gospel of gentleness.
Paul too says that gentleness is an identifying quality of the Christian. In 2 Corinthians 10:1 he exhorts believers “I urge you by the gentleness and forbearance of Christ”. In Galatians 5:22 gentleness is considered one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in the heart of believers and consists in being meek, moderate, slow to punish, kind and patient towards others. Again in Ephesians 4:32 and Colossians 3:12 gentleness is an attitude that is part of the Christian and a sign of the new man in Christ.
Finally, an eloquent witness comes from 1 Peter 3:3-4: “Your adornment should be not an exterior one, consisting of braided hair or gold jewellery or fine clothing, but the interior disposition of the heart, consisting in the imperishable quality of a gentle and peaceful spirit, so precious in the sight of God”.
How does Jesus use the word “gentle”? A truly enlightening definition is the one given by the gentle person of Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini “The gentle person, according to the beatitudes, is one who, in spite of the fervour of his/her feelings, remains docile and calm, not possessive, interiorly free, always extremely respectful of the mystery of freedom, imitating God in this respect who does everything with respect for the person, and urges the person to obedience without ever using violence. Gentleness is opposed to all forms of material or moral arrogance, it gains the victory of peace over war, of dialogue over imposition”.
To this wise interpretation we add that of another famous exegete: “The gentleness spoken of in the beatitudes is none other than that aspect of humility that manifests itself in practical affability in one’s dealings with the other. Such gentleness finds its image and its perfect model in the person of Jesus, gentle and humble of heart. Truly, such gentleness seems to us like a form of charity, patient and delicately attentive towards others” (Jacques Dupont).
In the NT the first time we meet the word is in Matthew 11:29: “Learn from me because I am gentle and humble of heart”. A second time is in Mt 21:5, when Matthew describes Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and cites the prophet Zechariah 2:9: “Behold your servant comes to you gentle”. Truly, Matthew’s Gospel may be described as the Gospel of gentleness.
Paul too says that gentleness is an identifying quality of the Christian. In 2 Corinthians 10:1 he exhorts believers “I urge you by the gentleness and forbearance of Christ”. In Galatians 5:22 gentleness is considered one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit in the heart of believers and consists in being meek, moderate, slow to punish, kind and patient towards others. Again in Ephesians 4:32 and Colossians 3:12 gentleness is an attitude that is part of the Christian and a sign of the new man in Christ.
Finally, an eloquent witness comes from 1 Peter 3:3-4: “Your adornment should be not an exterior one, consisting of braided hair or gold jewellery or fine clothing, but the interior disposition of the heart, consisting in the imperishable quality of a gentle and peaceful spirit, so precious in the sight of God”.
How does Jesus use the word “gentle”? A truly enlightening definition is the one given by the gentle person of Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini “The gentle person, according to the beatitudes, is one who, in spite of the fervour of his/her feelings, remains docile and calm, not possessive, interiorly free, always extremely respectful of the mystery of freedom, imitating God in this respect who does everything with respect for the person, and urges the person to obedience without ever using violence. Gentleness is opposed to all forms of material or moral arrogance, it gains the victory of peace over war, of dialogue over imposition”.
To this wise interpretation we add that of another famous exegete: “The gentleness spoken of in the beatitudes is none other than that aspect of humility that manifests itself in practical affability in one’s dealings with the other. Such gentleness finds its image and its perfect model in the person of Jesus, gentle and humble of heart. Truly, such gentleness seems to us like a form of charity, patient and delicately attentive towards others” (Jacques Dupont).
3. The word enlightens me (to meditate)
a) Am I able to accept those little signs of poverty in my
regard? For instance, the poverty of poor health and little indispositions? Do
I make exorbitant demands?
b) Am I able to accept some aspect of my poverty and fragility?
c) Do I pray like a poor person, as one who asks with humility the grace of God, his pardon and his mercy?
d) Inspired by Jesus’ message concerning gentleness, do I renounce violence, vengeance and a vengeful spirit?
e) Do I encourage, in families and in my place of work, a spirit of kindness, gentleness and peace?
f) Do I pay back any small malice, insinuations or offensive allusions with evil?
g) Do I look after the weakest who cannot defend themselves? Am I patient with old people? Do I welcome lonely strangers who are often exploited at work?
b) Am I able to accept some aspect of my poverty and fragility?
c) Do I pray like a poor person, as one who asks with humility the grace of God, his pardon and his mercy?
d) Inspired by Jesus’ message concerning gentleness, do I renounce violence, vengeance and a vengeful spirit?
e) Do I encourage, in families and in my place of work, a spirit of kindness, gentleness and peace?
f) Do I pay back any small malice, insinuations or offensive allusions with evil?
g) Do I look after the weakest who cannot defend themselves? Am I patient with old people? Do I welcome lonely strangers who are often exploited at work?
4. To pray
a) Psalm 23:
The Psalm seems to rotate around the title “The Lord is my
shepherd”. The saints are the image of the flock on the way: they are
accompanied by the goodness and loyalty of God, until they finally reach the
house of the Father (L.Alonso Schökel, I salmi della fiducia, Dehoniana libri,
Bologna 2006, 54)
Yahweh is my shepherd,
I lack nothing.
I lack nothing.
In grassy meadows he lets me lie.
By tranquil streams he leads me
to restore my spirit.
He guides me in paths of saving justice as befits his name.
By tranquil streams he leads me
to restore my spirit.
He guides me in paths of saving justice as befits his name.
Even were I to walk in a ravine as dark as death
I should fear no danger,
for you are at my side.
Your staff and your crook are there to soothe me.
I should fear no danger,
for you are at my side.
Your staff and your crook are there to soothe me.
You prepare a table for me under the eyes of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup brims over.
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup brims over.
Kindness and faithful love pursue me every day of my life.
I make my home in the house of Yahweh
for all time to come.
I make my home in the house of Yahweh
for all time to come.
b) Closing prayer:
Lord Jesus, you show us the way of the beatitudes so that we may
come to that happiness that is fullness of life and thus holiness. We are all
called to holiness, but the only treasure of the saints is God. Your Word,
Lord, calls saints all those who in baptism were chosen by your love of a
Father, to be conformed to Christ. Grant, Lord, that by your grace we may
achieve this conformity to Jesus Christ. We thank you, Lord, for the saints you
have placed on our way and who manifest your love. We ask for your pardon if we
have tarnished your face in us and denied our calling to be saints.
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