September 10: Beatitudes / Bienaventuranzas

The Beatitudes, both St. Matthew’s “version” of Jesus’ teaching and that of St. Luke (6, 20-26) sound strange to our ears. How can people be “happy” and blessed if they are poor, hungry or in mourning? How can people who “have their fill of everything” be called unfortunate? These pronouncements go against how we normally see life, don’t they?

But how often does the teaching of Jesus force us to rethink how we normally view life? He proclaimed and revealed a God who specially favors the distressed and the downtrodden. He called them blessed, because God was on their side and God wanted a more just, caring, and sharing world.

Knowing our need and admitting it can open up “space” for God to work in our lives, whereas in "time of plenty" we can easily be self-satisfied and convinced that we can do without God. We often seek Him with greater energy when our need is greater, whether individually or in society. Can we come before the Lord today in our poverty, our hunger, and our sadness – finally admitting that we are not self-sufficient?

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Our monthly Mass of Anointing is offered today at 8:30am. Please pray for those who are willing to admit that they stand in need of God’s healing touch.

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San Lucas es el único Evangelista que procede del paganismo – un mundo de esclavitud, miedo y opresión, y de libertad moral licenciosa. Él está tan impresionado por el hecho de que Jesús hizo en su vida un lugar especial para los pobres y marginados, a quienes nadie cuidaba en su entorno, que esta preocupación del Maestro viene a ser uno de los mayores énfasis en su Evangelio, particularmente en sus aspectos sociales.

En las Bienaventuranzas en el Evangelio de San Lucas él nos dice que Jesus nos dijo:  “Bienaventurados y felices son ustedes…” Lo que Dios quiere es que seamos verdaderamente felices, pero somos nosotros quienes tenemos que elegir qué vamos a hacer de nuestras vidas. Que el Señor nos dé el pensamiento recto y la actitud sabia para conseguirlo.

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Habrá Misa con la Unción de los Enfermos hoy a las 8:30am. Todos están invitados.