We live in interesting times. Some might say that in some ways these are more callous, more uncaring times. We are seeing the rise of power and control as a key dynamic within civilizations and peoples. We are seeing a greater spread between the haves and the have-nots. We seem to be living in a world, in a society, that seems to care more and more about power, and less and less about people.
Its not new, its been like that for all of recorded history, and I suspect for millennia before that. How quickly we attach ourselves to the things we have, how quickly we attach ourselves to the things we do, how quickly we attach ourselves to the power that we exert, and all the while, never really take time to discover who we are, who we really are.
And while as a species we refer to ourselves as human BEings, we have become human DOings; not defining ourselves by what we are, but rather by what we do, what we own, what power we exert.
This is a dangerous thing, because it reveals a deep and entrenched attitude we have about ourselves, about life, about God.
What does today’s Gospel have to say about this?
In a time when a deep and personal relationship with God had been replaced by the Temple teachings called the Mitzvot about what one must DO (in fact, 613 Old Testament laws about what one must do) to be a believer in God), Jesus gave us one of the most profound teachings to be found in the Gospels. He challenged the prevailing attitude of DOing by reminding his followers, and us, about who we are called to BE.
Not DO-attitudes …. BE-attitudes
Jesus’s Beatitudes provide a dizzying new vision of the world, a perspective designed to turn upside down the political and social world of the Roman Empire of Caesar Augustus and of the Jewish religious elite of Judea and Jerusalem. Likewise it calls you and I to a drastic and fundamental reassessment of our own political and social affairs, a reassessment that will not be realized without recognising our dependence on God.
Jesus presents to us a vision of the reign of God — a reign organized not from the top down, but from the bottom up. In the Beatitudes, Jesus offers a description of the community of goodwill His teachings will build in this world – if we follow them.
So, have we followed them?
The Catholic Church has taken the Beatitudes to the very core of its identity. Every single day the Catholic Church feeds more people, houses more people, clothes more people, takes care of more sick people, visits more prisoners, and educates more people than any other institution on the face of the earth could ever hope to. The very essence of health care and caring for the sick emerged through the Church, through the religious orders, in direct response to the value and dignity that the Gospel assigns to each and every human life. Prior to the Church’s introduction of education for the common person, education was reserved only for the nobility, for the rich. the powerful. Almost the entire Western world is educated today because of the Church’s pioneering role in universal education. The Catholic Church’s contribution on a local, national and global scale remains phenomenal even in spite of our faults and inefficiencies
So yes, at one level, we have followed the beatitudes.
But, at another level, we find following the Beatitudes is difficult. For some, almost impossible.
And that is in the living out of the beatitudes in our individual lives. You and I. Each and every day. You see, for many of us it is very hard for us to see poverty, grief, meekness, or the frustration that comes from being in a world that doesn’t value righteousness as a Blessing from God. And as much as we would say that we don’t hold judgement and prejudice in our hearts, in reality, we do. We have an attitude, and opinion about the poor. About those living in unhealthy lifestyles. About loss and grief. It’s even harder for us to see persecution and prejudice against us in anything but a Blessing. When was the last time you were in a conversation and someone started bashing the Catholic Church, or religion in general. Perhaps you spoke up. But I suspect most Catholics want to crawl under the table when people start talking about the Church in a social setting.
So, how do we start to live out the beatitudes in our life?
Firstly, recognize the attitudes that are within us. Don’t deny them. They are there, and they are real. But rather than just accept them ….. when you sense those attitudes starting to play out in your mind, ask God to help you have the eyes to see, and the ears to hear, as GOD sees and hears. Reframe yourselves to see the world from God’s perspective.
Secondly, recognize that the Beatitudes have to be lived out in your life, in the times and places you find yourself. Being poor in spirit is recognising that you are not in control of your life. And allowing yourself to be humbled in recognising the hand of God visible in the events of your life. Being Merciful is not clinging to our grudges, not holding on to our resentments, not remembering in detail all that others have done to hurt us, but rather to show tender compassion in our dealings with others. Being Meek is recognizing that there is a God, and that we are not God. Being a Peacemaker means bringing peace in our own spheres of influence, in our homes, our families and most importantly, in our hearts.
In the Beatitudes, Jesus offers you and I a description of the community of goodwill His teachings will build in this world – if we follow them. The Catholic Church has, and will continue, to try its best to follow them.
Which leaves me with just one question ..……. Will you?