L'Osservatore Romano

In Morning Homily, Pope Suggests One Beatitude in Particular Can Lead Us Close to Jesus

One of the Beatitudes in particular, while not being the “key to all” of the Beatitudes, nevertheless “induces us to much reflection,” says Pope Francis. “And it is: Blessed are the meek. Meekness.” The Pope said this today during his morning Mass […]

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One of the Beatitudes in particular, while not being the “key to all” of the Beatitudes, nevertheless “induces us to much reflection,” says Pope Francis. “And it is: Blessed are the meek. Meekness.”
The Pope said this today during his morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta, Vatican Radio reported. The Gospel for today’s Mass is the recounting of the Beatitudes in Matthew.
The Holy Father, who often refers to the Sermon on the Mount in his teaching, spoke of the Beatitudes and their opposing “woe to you” statements in Luke, as steps that lead “forward in life” or to perdition.
The Beatitudes are a roadmap for Christian life, he said. And the “four woes” — Woe to the rich, to the satiated, to those who laugh now, to you when all speak well of you — are an “anti-law, the wrong navigator.”
 
These are the “three slippery steps that lead to perdition, just as the Beatitudes are the steps that take us forward in life,” he said.
And elaborating on that thought the Pope said the three steps that lead to perdition are: “the attachment to riches, because I need nothing;”
“Vanity – that all must speak well of me, making me feel important, making too much of a fuss … and I am convinced [that I am] in the right,” he said, referring also the parable of the self-righteous Pharisee and the Tax Collector: “O God I thank you that I am such a good Catholic, not like my neighbor…”
“The third – he said – is pride, the satiation and the laughter that closes one’s heart.”

Something to think about

Of all the Beatitudes – the Pope said there is one in particular: “I’m not saying it is the key to all of them, but it induces us to much reflection and it is: Blessed are the meek. Meekness”.
“Jesus says of himself: ‘learn from me for I am meek of heart,’ I am humble and gentle at heart. To be meek is a way of being that brings us close to Jesus,” he said.
“The opposite attitude,” Pope Francis concluded, “always causes enmities and wars … lots of bad things that happen. But meekness, meekness of heart which is not foolishness, no: it’s something else. It’s the capacity to be deep and to understand the greatness of God, and worship Him.”

Readings provided by the US bishops’ conference:

Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 359

Reading 1 1 KGS 17:1-6

Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab:
“As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve,
during these years there shall be no dew or rain except at my word.”
The LORD then said to Elijah:
“Leave here, go east
and hide in the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan.
You shall drink of the stream,
and I have commanded ravens to feed you there.”
So he left and did as the LORD had commanded.
He went and remained by the Wadi Cherith, east of the Jordan.
Ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning,
and bread and meat in the evening,
and he drank from the stream.

Responsorial Psalm PS 121:1BC-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

R. (see 2) Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
I lift up my eyes toward the mountains;
whence shall help come to me?
My help is from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
May he not suffer your foot to slip;
may he slumber not who guards you:
Indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps,
the guardian of Israel.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The LORD is your guardian; the LORD is your shade;
he is beside you at your right hand.
The sun shall not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
The LORD will guard you from all evil;
he will guard your life.
The LORD will guard your coming and your going,
both now and forever.
R. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Alleluia MT 5:12A

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Rejoice and be glad;
for your reward will be great in heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 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.
Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

 

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Kathleen Naab

United States

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