Today Jesus offers us the Beatitudes which are proclaimed in the heart of his most remembered, perhaps his most significant sermon: The Sermon on the Mount. The entire sermon which occupies three chapters in Matthew's Gospel, flows from these beatitudes. Our first reaction may be to strive to live the beatitudes; yet if we first let God's love and mercy pour over us and all through us, we will find ourselves blessed.
Perhaps rather than striving to live them all perfectly, we can listen to God's call for us to find ourselves in one of the beatitudes. Which beatitude strikes to my heart directly? Then finding a home in a particular beatitude we can join with our brothers and sisters dwelling the other beatitudes and together experiences the Kingdom of God.
Sometimes in our zeal for the Lord we have a desire to make sure everyone knows the Lord like we do. Actually, the Lord knows each one of us a beautiful, unique, miraculous and profound way; and each one of us will respond to God's call in a beautiful, unique and profound way. God's glory is revealed in every molecule of creation; it is ours to enjoy, to be lifted up by it, to be consumed by it. In the Eucharist, we consume the very body and blood of Christ, completing the journey from glory to glory. Then, from that place of Holy Communion, we use our gifts for the building up of the Kingdom which we have experienced in our bones and in our blood. There is no longer any need for striving, only for surrendering love.
Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.