By Father Michael Panicali
If anything can be two different things at the same time, the Beatitudes, which we deal with this week in the Gospel from Luke, meet the criteria.
At the same time, they are both simple and complex. While they seem on the surface to be direct and easy to understand, there is a lot more than meets the eye. The Beatitudes continue to pose questions for biblical scholars, and the general faithful, over interpretations of Jesus’ intent, and how we are to apply these teachings in our daily lives.
Curiously, in Luke’s account, Jesus does not preach from the top of a mountain (as in Matthew’s Gospel, hence it being called the Sermon on the Mount), but rather, descends from a mountain to a plain, where he, like Moses, delivers His teachings to the assembled people. One also notices that Luke’s version describes the attributes that Jesus’ disciples already have, whereas Matthew’s seems to prescribe what they must attain to be Jesus’ followers.
For this reason, I find Luke’s version to be succinct and comforting. It gently offers something for everyone – the brokenhearted, the poor, the marginalized, those persecuted for their faith. Who among us has not identified, in one way or another, with these categorizations or conditions at some point in our lives?
Scholars indicate that in the Beatitudes, Jesus is stressing dependence on God in our daily living. This is consistent with Jesus telling us to not be afraid, which is His most recurrent teaching in the Gospels. There are many negative connotations associated with the word “dependence” in our society, but dependence on God can only be a good thing.
When we hunger for God, when we weep for this world, when we are poor in spirit because we long for something this world cannot give, we are indeed blessed – for we are then in communion with God. These things tell us we are aware of our place in relation to God, are thinking outside of ourselves. We are looking to the Transcendent, to the Standard from which everything is measured and flows.
The Beatitudes also remind us of the heavenly reward awaiting us – to not focus so much on this present existence, but to see it as passing, and surrendering to something glorified, triumphant and joyful!
Finally, they liken those who are being persecuted for the sake of the Name of Christ to the prophets who were directly sent by God, and who, in many instances, were brutally rejected by their own people. This is inspiring and heartening for those who do feel persecuted, as the Church’s teachings are viewed by many as irrelevant, out of date and hypocritical.
While the Church has made its fair share of mistakes, some of horrific proportions, its teachings on the flourishing of the human person are indisputable, as they are based on self-evident Truths, and easily apparent observations of natural law.
This being said, not all people agree with the Church’s strong assertion of Absolute Truth, which is the seminal issue of contention in today’s society. The denial of Absolute Truth is the basis of many of today’s errors, shortcomings and evils. Those upholding Absolute Truth can take comfort that they are in the great company of the prophets Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Amos, Hosea, and Malachi. All called the people back to proper relationship with God and the Truths He has made known to us, and they suffered for it.
St. Paul in today’s reading from the First Letter to the Corinthians stresses that it is through the salvific work of the last of the prophets, Jesus Christ, God Himself, that we who walk in the ways of the Lord are promised our very own resurrection from the dead, just as Christ was raised. “If the dead are not raised, neither has Christ been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is in vain; you are still in your sins. … If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all.”
Blessed are those who look past this life, who hope in the Lord, and place their faith in His Resurrection, for a greater life of eternal glory awaits them.
Readings for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jeremiah 17: 5-8
Psalm 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6
1 Corinthians 15: 12, 16-20
Luke 6: 17, 20-26
Father Panicali is a parochial vicar at St. Mark and St. Margaret Mary parish, Sheepshead Bay.
