Today is the Sunday of the 4th Ordinary Week (Year A). We read of the famous beatitudes on Matthew 5. Allow me to quote them in full.
Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down his disciples came to him.
And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
"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, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:1-12).
On the other hand, Luke has 4 beatitudes and 4 woes instead (Luke 6:20-27). These are supposed to be Jesus' words and some call them the 'Constitution of the Kingdom of Heaven'. Christians are supposed to live their lives accordingly. His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI wrote a book Jesus of Nazareth and devoted a chapter on them. Biblical scholars have to deal with them in their commentaries. The Catholic Church canonizes saints whenever they were able to live their lives according to any one of them.
The concept of the Kingdom of Heaven is a subversive one. It challenges all the kingdoms of the world. The first beatitude is anti-capitalistic. One wonders how it is possible to practise it in the present world. Yet, Christians belong to two worlds, the present one and the spiritual one. Without God's help and intervention, Christians can never put this Constitution into practice.
Mum is depressed. She has been entrapped and exhausted by the games she plays. She is bossy in holding others responsible for decisions she favours. This must be extremely stressful for her, especially when people are able to see through her tricks and deliberately prolong the negotiation and decision processes to drain her of her patience and energy. She would lose her temper. Every evening, she goes on her drinking spree, makes herself half-drunk and depressed. Then she starts weeping, mourning, wailing and talking about her 'humiliations' in the old days. She indulges in reliving those 'painful events', dragging those heavy burdens which she holds dear. Why can't she let go but continue to torture herself and us? It becomes a domestic violence routine every evening. In front of us, she boasts of what, in our eyes, are supposed to be ordinary, decent duties of a woman. Under such constant 'coaching', I am afraid we will develop in ourselves the kind of personality we hate. Help us God. To resist is a reflex action. I don't know how long we are able to withstand without putting up any resistance.
My God, help me live up to this poverty and meekness beatitude. Your Son calls us to live our lives in Your Kingdom. We experience great tensions in trying to remain poor in a capitalistic world. Strengthening us against the riches of the world so that we may be able to obtain riches in heaven. May we taste the sweetness of poverty that we may truly inherit Your richness in heaven. May our hearts remain pure and meek despite constant attacks from without. Amen.
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