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. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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One of the most popular platforms on social media today is “X,” formerly known as Twitter. The genius of Twitter is that it allows you to post whatever is on your mind in 160 characters or less.
For example, someone recently posted, “Congratulations to the astronauts who left earth today. Good choice.”
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In today’s Gospel, Jesus preaches his first – and most famous – public sermon, known as the Beatitudes, boiling God’s vision for humanity down into a few pithy “tweets.” With each tweet, he turns the values of the world upside down, or we might say, right side up.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit.”
“Blessed are the peacemakers.”
“Blessed are the pure of heart.”
Even, “Blessed are you when they persecute you because of me.”
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To a person without faith, each of these may seem like a “how to” on becoming a doormat; they’ll get you nowhere in a dog eat dog world, because Jesus is telling us that up is down and down is up.
But that’s precisely the point. Maybe it’s the world, not us, that has its logic twisted, because everything that Jesus teaches us boils down to radical love of God and neighbor. This is the path to authentic peace and shared human happiness.
Not, “might makes right.”
But, love conquers all.
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Which of the Beatitudes speaks most personally to me today? And how might I try putting it into practice?
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If you try, then blessed will you be.
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Image credits: (1) Twitter, Vecteezy (2) Sermon on the Mount, Carl Bloch (3) Letters to Josep
Jesus said to the Jewish crowds: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”
The Jews quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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What makes the inside of a Catholic church unique – distinct from other houses of worship?
Perhaps the lingering smell of incense; the sound of water trickling down the baptismal font; a large crucifix hanging over the altar; or the enduring sadness of the Stations of the Cross.
Then, of course, there’s the focal point, the tabernacle. Ours is red kissed in gold, located smack dab in the center of the sanctuary. Anyone who isn’t Catholic may wonder what’s inside. If we were to explain it to them, then we’d tell them not “what,” but “who,” is inside.
Jesus.
More than any other teaching, our belief that the Eucharist is not a mere piece of bread, but the Body of our Risen Lord is what makes the Catholic faith unique.
This belief has not only boggled the brightest minds in the history of the Church, but it has also stumped ordinary believers like us.
“How can that be Jesus?” many ask. We ask. I ask. Much like the crowds first hit with this teaching in today’s Gospel.
“I am the living bread that came down from heaven,” Jesus says. “Whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world. Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.”
Wow.
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Theologians have written volumes over the centuries trying to explain that the Eucharist is not a symbol, but really Jesus. Instead of diving into dense theological arguments, however, consider the logic of the heart.
Literally.
That’s how God is best understood.
As early as the second century, Christians taught others about the Eucharist by comparing Christ to a pelican.
In a time of famine, if a mother pelican cannot find food for her young, then she will literally use her beak to break open her chest, feeding her young with her blood. It’s instinctive, written into her DNA; the mother will offer herself in order to save her young.
I’m sure any mother can relate. You often do what the pelican does – not in the sense of breaking yourself open, but you offer your life, your heart, even your body while pregnant for the life of your child.
Jesus does the same for us – he feeds us with his very Self in the Eucharist, providing spiritual food for our journeys.
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This unimaginable gift also comes with quite the responsibility.
Whenever those sacred words are spoken, This is my Body … This is my Blood … we are invited to offer ourselves in union with Christ for the sake of others.
As Saint Augustine once said, “Become what you consume.”
Be Christ – bear Christ – in this world.
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Each time I celebrate Mass and repeat those sacred words, This is my Body… This is my Blood… I’m reminded of this responsibility to offer myself in unison with Christ for you.
Every homily written, every sermon preached, every Mass, baptism, wedding, anointing, and funeral celebrated is my way of offering myself for you.
And the more I give to you, the more I seem to have.
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Don’t we all feel the same?
The more we give, the more we have.
Think of the many sacrifices you might offer throughout the day, allowing yourself to respond with Jesus, this is my body… this is my blood.
I think of pregnant mothers, who like a pelican, share their bodies with their unborn child; parents who sacrifice sleep and sanity to raise a family; those who care for an elderly parent or an aging spouse.
Those who rise early and run our parish soup kitchen; those who stand at the door and greet before Mass; our staff; our catechists; members of our choir; those who bring communion to the sick; those who give of themselves through other parish ministries.
The list goes on.
In offering ourselves for others, we become like the Eucharist, bread broken and shared, nourishment for others.
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So, what makes a Catholic church unique? The smell of incense, the sound of trickling water, or the Stations of the Cross? Perhaps.
Above all, it’s the tabernacle. It’s you. It’s me.
It’s our belief that every time we approach the altar and receive Jesus, we become what we consume – a living tabernacle; the hands, the feet, the face of Christ in this world, offering ourselves in unison with him, who has first loved us and given himself for us.
May we all find ways to say with Christ, This is my body… this is my blood… given for you.
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Image credits: (1) Christ the Savior, Juan de Juanes (2) The Catholic Talks (3) Emmaus Music, YouTube
You have followed my teaching, way of life, purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me in Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra, persecutions that I endured. Yet from all these things the Lord delivered me. In fact, all who want to live religiously in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. But wicked people and charlatans will go from bad to worse, deceivers and deceived. But you, remain faithful to what you have learned and believed, because you know from whom you learned it, and that from infancy you have known the sacred Scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that one who belongs to God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
The Word of the Lord.
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The king of Sparta was once asked, “What shall we teach our boys?”
The king replied, “That which will be most useful to them when they are men.”
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The Spartans formed a powerful society in ancient Greece, known for their militaristic culture. At age 7, boys started training to become not just men, but warriors, as they learned the values of discipline, teamwork, physical strength, and endurance.
They lived in a dog-eat-dog world. If attacked, they were ready to defend what was theirs.
As a Church, we should also ask ourselves, “What shall we teach our children?”
Unequivocally, that which will be most useful for them to encounter Christ, living a life of faith, hope, and love. Doing so not only ensures their survival, but spiritually speaking, the survival of the next generation.
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For the last three days, we have been reading through Saint Paul’s Second Letter to Timothy, containing his final – and most personal – words ever written.
Timothy was Paul’s “spiritual son,” whom he not only ordained a priest; Paul also took him under his wing, training Timothy in the Christian life. In our first reading, for example, Paul separates what Timothy has learned from him, compared to Timothy’s unbelieving peers.
Physically, Timothy has ministered with Paul and was a witness on several occasions to him being persecuted. Mentally, Timothy has learned from Paul’s life and teachings. And spiritually, Timothy is carrying them out.
Timothy has learned that living a Christian life demands faith, discipline, hard work, prayer, perseverance, charity, forgiveness, and an unshakable belief in the resurrection of the dead.
The same values which we should also be teaching our children.
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Like Saint Paul, may we live lives worthy of emulating.
To a certain extent, the future of the Church – and the spiritual growth of our children – depend upon it.
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Image credits: (1) NavPress (2) Greek Boston (3) Hawskworth Church of England Primary School
