Today's Gospel

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Back to radical and irrelevant. Today's reading is from the beginning of the fifth chapter of Matthew, which is the Beatitudes. But Matthew chapter 5 and chapter 6, just lesson after lesson after lesson after lesson. You could meditate on that whole 40-day silent retreat just on Matthew 5 and 6. But the beginning is the Beatitudes. That's our reading today. So let's listen closely because it's something we're familiar with. That's easy for us to drift. Let's listen with new ears.

Matthew chapter 5, verses 1 through 12. Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up on the mountain. And when he sat down, his disciples came to him and he opened his mouth. And taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will seek God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

And blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. For so the men persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Is there one that jumps out at you in particular? They're all an invitation, right? An invitation to be poor in spirit. An invitation to mourn. An invitation to be meek. An invitation to hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Are you in a state of mourning at the moment? Maybe you're mourning because someone near and dear to you has died. But sometimes there are other things in our lives we need to mourn. Sometimes there's an event or a set of circumstances in our lives and it might be happening right now or have happened recently or might have happened deep in your past but you never mourned it. It's good for us not only to think about the words from the literal sense of mourning someone who's died but to mourn maybe the loss of a friendship, maybe the loss of a career, maybe some sort of trauma, maybe some disappointment, some crushed dream, broken dream. What is it that God is calling you, inviting you to mourn today? And let's mourn. Whatever that is, whoever that is, let's mourn that wholeheartedly, let's mourn that generously. Have a great day. And remember, Be Bold. Be Catholic.