Gospel Reading: Matthew 5:1-12a
Blessed are the pure of heart. . .the merciful. . .the peacemakers. These are laudable qualities. On the other hand, being persecuted, insulted, or in mourning is painful. How can we be blessed by them? The Gospel tells us to rejoice and be glad! How? Why? Because our reward will be great and our lives will truly reflect Christ. The Beatitudes are our requirements for discipleship. And discipleship is not always easy.
Last summer, Pope Leo canonized Pier Giorgio Frassati, a young man whom St. John Paul II called the Man of the Beatitudes at his beatification in 1990. Pier Giorgio knew how to live the Beatitudes and show them through his life. His identification with the poor, insulted, persecuted, and mistreated led to his early death from polio, which he contracted while ministering in the slums of Turin. He was a peacemaker to the impoverished and the voiceless. This is what living the Beatitudes calls us to do to communicate love and peace in concrete ways, even at the expense of personal sacrifice.
Our mission in life is to become holy. The Beatitudes are our guideposts. May we not miss the signs nor the opportunities.
Sister Marcella Louise Wallowicz, CSFN
