Pax et Bonum Mass; January 30, 2019

Matthew 5:1-12

Deacon Jim McFadden; St. Francis H.S.

 

            Prior to the offering of the Sign of Peace, the priest says aloud, “Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles: Peace I leave you, my peace I give you, look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will. Who live and reign for ever and ever.”

            That prayer quite simply and directly teaches us that Jesus is the source of peace. We receive his Peace and then we in turn share it with our brothers and sisters. Being made in the image of a relational God, who is three-in-one, we’re hard-wired to be communion with God and in companionship with one another. Put simply, we’re made to be in love with God and our brothers and sisters now and forever.

What gives us peace on a day-in and day-out basis is consciously being alive to our relationship with the One, whose love is beyond measure. Troubies, know who you are: you are a beloved daughter of God and living out that reality will make your heart fruitful so that you will be filled with his infinite love; it will open you to seek eagerly to do the Father’s will. How can you not be at Peace when you live in and through God?

What does this look like in our daily life? The Gospel reading taken from the Sermon of the Mount teaches us that those who are living in the Kingdom of God will live a certain way. They will strive to do the Father’s will here and now.

To begin with, they will be happy because they are poor in Spirit. They peer into the depths of their hearts, where they see that real security in life does not come from riches that come and go, but comes from the Word of God and love of their brothers and sisters.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. They will be meek because they see God’s promises being accomplished in their lives. They don’t need to be right; they don’t need to judge others. They can be patient and gentle, because they know that God is working in and through them.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. The world tells us to be attached to our feelings. If it feels good, go for it. Entertainment, pleasure, diversion, and escape make for the good life. A person who is present to others, however, is unafraid to join the suffering of others and walk with them in their pain; they do not flee from difficult situations, because they discover meaning in coming to the aid of those who are suffering. They look to Jesus, the source of peace, to walk with them and bring them solace. As the Serenity Prayer maintains, they will trust Him, “…knowing that in surrendering to Him, he will make all things right.”

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Those who are living in Jesus, go beyond satisfying their basis needs for survival. They desire justice for everyone, recognizing that all human beings have inherent dignity. They move beyond a transactional way of living where there are winners and losers to pursuing instead justice for the weak and vulnerable.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be comforted. Mercy has two aspects: it involves giving, helping and serving others, but also includes forgiveness and understanding. As they receive mercy from God, they simply pass it along to others.

Blessed are the poor in heart, for they will see God. Those who are grounded in God, who are in right relationship with their brothers and sisters will have hearts that are simple and pure. Their heart admits nothing that might harm others or weakens their love for God and others.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. This Beatitude makes persons not be a cause of conflict or misunderstanding despite the conflictual, divisive world in which they live. Rather, they become bridge-builders between opposing parties to bring them back to right relationship.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of God. Like the first Beatitude, this promises the Kingdom here and now.

Troubies, in living the alternative consciousness of the Gospel as expressed in the Beatitudes, we will have a target on our back. We will be a challenge to the powers of the world, but the struggle for justice is worth it, because we worship a God of justice grounded in love.

 

Troubies, we are a people of Peace when we are habitually open to the One true God, with whom we connect through ongoing prayer and adoration. If we cultivate a spirit of prayer, we will participate in his very Being. And, as we do, we will find the superficial concerns of the world to be too narrow and stifling. When we give praise and glory to God through our daily lives, we will experience a Peace that the world cannot give, but which only can be received as a gift from our Lord Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Amen.