Questions

The words of today's Gospel (Matthew 5:1-12), the Beatitudes, are exceedingly familiar, but they are also exceedingly challenging.

Many of us live in relatively affluent cultures where people have many personal and family crises but where these crises almost never involve danger of imminent death by starvation.

On some level, therefore, it may be difficult for us to grasp both of today's readings: not only the Gospel in which our Lord speaks of "the poor in spirit" but also in the first reading (1 Kings 17:1-6) where the prophet Elijah avoids dying of hunger and thirst through miraculous means.

Yet even the poorest of the poor in this world may not be able to grasp fully what our Lord means in his wonderful words "Blessed are the poor of spirit."

Indeed, sometimes the poor man may be tempted to treasure and to clutch even the little he has in this world more than the things of heaven.

As for those among us who have more of this world's goods, we have greater opportunities for temptation and also greater expectations for doing good with the things we have been given.

For unto whomsoever much is given,
of him shall be much required.
(Luke 12:48b)

The Beatitudes have been called the new Decalogue, paralleling the Decalogue (the ten "words") of Moses. We can and should also consider them questions:

• Are we truly poor in spirit? Or are we building our own little kingdoms in our small parts of the world?
  
• Do we mourn? Do we feel the losses we have incurred through sin? Or do we wallow in the world's comforts?
  
• Are we meek? Or do we make more of ourselves than we should?
  
• Do we hunger and thirst for righteousness? Or are we content with muddling?
  
• Are we merciful? When we deal with others, do we forget the mercy God shows us? Or do we take inappropriate pride or pleasure in presenting things hard and clear?
  
• Are we clean of heart? Is our heart set on God or is it cluttered with various desires?
  
• Are we peacemakers? Do we seek to make real peace or do we paper-over? Or do we go out of our way to antagonize?
  
• Are we persecuted for the sake of righteousness? Or do we compromise, evade, and dissemble? Or do we try to cover our own faults and failures with specious cries of "Help! I'm being oppressed!"
  
• Do we grumble, mope, or mourn when things turn against us? Or do we rejoice and are glad for being faithful to the truth and the love of Christ.

However well or however poorly we may answer these questions, our Lord extends to us his grace so that we may rise to his challenges.

May we continue to rise.

May we be blessed.