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Gospel: Matthew 5: 1-12
“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.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
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The Saints are the merciful, the clean of heart, and the peacemakers, whom Jesus blesses in today’s Gospel.
Some examples include:
Peter, the first Pope, who offered his life for Jesus.
Paul, the greatest missionary in history.
Francis of Assisi, an instrument of God’s peace.
And Teresa of Calcutta, a modern-day Saint, who showed the world how to love the poor.
These men and women changed the world. And, rightly, they’re revered as Saints.
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But most of the Saints were ordinary men and women like us.
Saint Conrad was a doorman. For 40 years, he stood and welcomed pilgrims to a Marian shrine in Germany.
Saint Zita was a cook.
Other Saints were barbers, farmers, maids, soldiers, and soccer players.
There’s nothing extraordinary about what they did; we can all welcome people coming to church, cook a meal in our soup kitchen, till the land in our backyard, or kick a soccer ball.
What’s the difference? What made them Saints?
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They did ordinary tasks with extraordinary love, living out that great prayer of Saint Francis:
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.”
Bring the love of God wherever you go, and you, too, will be a Saint.
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Image credits: (1) Almost Saints, Denver Catholic (2) Pref-Tech (3) Dreamstime.com