After reading what John had wrote in the Book of Revelation, in order to share with the faithful the revelation that he had received concerning what “must happen soon” , we must be aware that far from teaching some sort of indifference toward the present in favour of some future existence, this prophetic message, on the contrary, reveals all the importance and reality of the present. For it is here and now that “what must happen soon” is being prepared. For this reason, it is urgent for us even now to commit ourselves to what happens today in order to be able to share in what tomorrow brings. The revelation of the full realisation of the designs of God affords us a supernatural understanding of present times, inspires us with courage and constant revives the hope of the faithful. The page that is read on the day of this feast is one of the most beautiful and most comforting of the Book of Revelation.
Two successive visions revealed to John the hidden face of the earthly stage of the coming of salvation and the accomplishment in heaven of God’s plans. “Then I saw another angel come up from the east, holding the seal of the living God. He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels who were given the power to damage the land and the see, ‘Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees until we imprint the seal on the foreheads of the servants of God.’” Present time is presented as a time of remission: judgement has been put off until later. But this respite does not mean that God will be late in rendering justice. Those who will be tempted to think so are asked to “be patient a little while longer until the number was filled of their fellow servants…..”
The number of those marked by the seal is incalculable, “ One hundred and forty four thousand, [twelve thousand] marked fro every tribe. Of the Israelites.” These umbers of course are symbolic and are meant to evoke both plentitude and fulfilment, no-one will be forgotten or left out of those who belong to God; the time of respite will last as long as is necessary so that all might be gathered together in the unity of his people. This gathering and this unity will not be fully realised until the end of time, in the Jerusalem that John saw descending from heaven, to welcome into it all the children of God now dispersed. What had been a dream has become an unimaginable reality: people “from every nation, race, people and tongue” all assembled, of one spirit despite their diversity, and without the slightest discrimination. John saw this assembly gathered together at the end of time. All “stood wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.”
In our Gospel today we the Lord give us the wonderful instruction of the Beatitudes.
After Jesus had spent forty days and forty nights in the desert, he heard of the arrest of his cousin John the Baptist and went first to Galilee . But he did not stay there. Leaving Nazareth, he went to stay in Capurnaum on the shores of Lake Gennesaret, where he walked about and proclaimed “Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.” AS he went he saw two brothers, Simon and Andrew, who were fishing: “Come after me and I will make you fishers of men.” They obeyed without the slightest hesitation. A little farther on he saw two others, James and John. Jesus called to them. They immediately followed him, leaving their father Zebedee alone in the boat, with the nets they were getting ready. Jesus kept travelling, this time in their company, and he continued to preach throughout Galilee, proclaiming the good news and healing many sick or possessed persons as he went. This was all that was needed for great crowds to gather about him, who had come from Galilee and the Ten Cities, Jerusalem, and Judes, and from across the Jordan. Jesus took them up into the mountain, sat down, as a teacher does, and began to teach them. This inaugural teaching constitutes the first of the main structures that characterise the Gospel According to Matthew. Jesus began proclaiming the Beatitudes,
As crowds gathered about Jesus after being drawn by his miracles and preaching that the kingdom of God was at hand, He declared to them: “ Blessed are the poor in spirit….. they who mourn…..the meek….. they who hunger and thirst for righteousness……. The merciful…the clean of heart….the peace makers….. they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness… Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely]. Because of me.” Jesus is not giving his approval, so to speak, of poverty and suffering and all the trials known so well to his audience, whose lives were harsh and often filled with injustice. Any such meaning would be a flagrant contradiction with the constant teaching of Scripture, which is severe in its condemnation of all those who are responsible for such terrible wrongs: They are impious, for they are resisting the will of God, who wants just the opposite, and who gave the Law in order to guide humankind along the way of his will. If the crowds who heard these words for the first time had understood them in this sense, they would have hooted with derision. But, as we read in Matthew: “When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.”
The intolerable scandal of such statements would only have increased over the centuries. In order to be taken seriously, the disciple’s would have done better to drop them from their teaching, instead of perpetuating the memory of these words through the years and making them the basis of the preaching of the Church. Such was the importance of this teaching. The truth of the matter is that, when he had proclaimed the Beatitudes, Jesus was reaffirming that “the kingdom of God was at hand.” And was urginging the conversion of the heart that opens up the gates of this kingdom. The kingdom is at hand because he who was sent by God is present, and because, through him, those signs foretold by the prophets as portents of the advent of the Messiah are beginning to be seen. “The blind regain their sight, the lame walk. Lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.” Jesus will quote this oracle from the prophecies of Isaiah in response to a question from John the Baptist, who had sent word to him asking: “Are you the one who is to come or should we look for some other?” The first miracles performed by Jesus that drew great crowds of followers already felt the approach of the kingdom felt. It’s good news for the poor and those who are unhappy for any reason, for it becomes clear that God will not tarry to intervene effectively in their behalf. He is in fact, their primary defender, their rightful defender, one might say, and the only one they can count on. It is not that the poor can claim personal merits lacking to others. But they do find themselves in a position of need, without the means to defend themselves, victims of the injustices of society and , often, of the conduct of the rich and powerful. This is sufficient, God looks no further. He knows perfectly well that no-one is without sin, that the poor can behave as badly as any others, that they can be hard-hearted and unfair to their neighbour and just as greedy as any others. But God nevertheless comes out on their side.” Blessed are the meek” Poverty and humility characterise the meek and the lowly——in the biblical and gospel sense of the word —- whom the Magnificatalso says are blessed, because God raises them up. “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Affliction from whatever source always leads to hardship. It can never bring happiness. It is a harsh trial because one is alone in facing up to it, even when people of good will show sympathy. Each of us knows this from personal experience, at the vey least in feeling his or her helplessness to bring help to others in need. But those who weep have at least on consolation, God understands them and will not fail to console those that turn to him.
“Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness ……who are persecuted for righteousness……Blessed are those who are insulted, persecuted, slandered for Christ’s sake.” The term righteousness was unknown to Mark and used only once by Luke, occurs several times in Matthew. It means a number of things: real, sincere, and practical adherence to God’s will, God’s Law, and in particular, effectual charity towards one’s neighbour —-those who lack food and drink, clothing—- and toward the stranger, the prisoner, the sick etc. To pursue this righteousness with all ones strength is to work alongside God.To suffer for the sake of righteousness and for the sake of faith is to share in the sufferings of Christ, the Just One slandered, persecuted, put to death. Seeking righteousness and seeking the kingdom go hand in hand.
“Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.” Peace is the messianic gift par excellence brought by Christ to those whom God loves, restored to sinners who have been pardoned and the sick who have been healed. Peace was the most precious gift left by the Lord to his disciples. When he appeared to them after the resurrection his first greeting was “Peace be with you.” And in his greeting they recognised him. This must be passed on by us to others.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.” Along with righteousness and faithfulness—or good faith— mercy is one of the weightier things of the law, It is indeed the supreme attribute of God because it makes manifest his infinite love.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” In the bible and everyday speech the “heart’meant the hidden centre and deepest part of an individual. It is in the heart that decisions are made. This particular Beatitude sums up, as it were all the others and expresses likeness and conformity to Christ. For Christ is the sole and perfect exemplar of the clean hearted, the lowly, the one who hungers for righteousness, the merciful, the peacemaker, the persecuted, and slandered just, and for this reason he is the first exalted one of heaven. Along with all the Saints we celebrate today who have followed Christ, let us sing in our hearts these Beatitudes, let us be encouraged and strengthened by them and may we persevere in all hardships of our earthly pilgrimage and be sustained by our Lord’s words;
“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”
