Solemnity of All Saints

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”

The Beatitudes are guideposts along the narrow path to Heaven. They point us in the right direction by reminding us of the important qualities we are supposed to cultivate within ourselves as Christians. These are not the attributes that the world honors, but rather they are the ones the world does not understand. Being poor in spirit, mournful, meek, hungry for righteousness, clean of heart, peaceful, and willing to be persecuted for the sake of righteousness… these are the things God asks of us. The world on the other hand wants us to be rich in materials things, uncaring, prideful, hungry for sin, impure of heart, wrathful, and judgmental of others. Every moment of the day, we make a choice between Jesus’ Beatitudes and worldly attitudes. It is up to us to make the right choice and to constantly incarnate the Beatitudes in everything we think, say, and do.

Are our thoughts, words, and works rooted in the Beatitudes? Which Beatitudes do we have the most trouble cultivating in our lives? How can we prune away our worldly attitudes so the Beatitudes will find fertile ground within us?

O Lord, bless us with the grace to become incarnations of your Beatitudes.

Amen.