Mt 5: 1-12 Beatitudes

Have you ever had a week that was so busy, and just when you didn't think it could get any busier, it did?  Perhaps you have even had a week like that, then been thrown a curve ball, like being told your dad had cancer or Alzheimer's or your mom's surgery on her knee didn't go smoothly and they lost her for a few minutes.  It seems like life if filled with curve balls.  Just when we think we're in the clear and everything is going to go our way, they show up.  Why do we think that everything should go our way though?  Why do we think that if we've done what we ought, we should get what we should get rewarded?

Jesus gives us the Beatitudes...those blessing on the poor, meek, and lowly.  They are his challenge to us in a world that prizes star athletes and celebrities more than those who put food on our tables.  He is challenging us today to look again at our priorities and what we hold most dear.  "Blessed are they who are poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God."

This last week I had the blessed fortune of visiting a nursing home.  The patient was trying to be courteous to her nurses, but was suffering a collapsing vertebrate, associated pain in the legs, and a urinary tract infection, but she needed help trying to get into positions that could help her, and it was occurring frequently.  The nurses were trying to courteous and kind, but their patience was beginning to wane.  It was a tough situation.  The thing about it was that they were all trying their best to follow the teachings of the Beatitudes.  It is not easy for them, or for us, in our daily lives. Today let us reexamine ourselves to see where exactly our priorities lie, and if we are truly living as Jesus taught.

Lk 16:19-31 The Rich Man and Lazarus

Just as innocently as a child we can find ourselves in situations where our pride and greed get the better of us.  Once is not a bad thing.  However, we need to be cautious that they do not become bad habits which eventually will turn into great sins. 

In today’s Gospel Luke gives a beautiful contrast between the rich man and Lazarus.  The rich man has a lavish lifestyle and has fallen into bad habits which become a bane to him, prohibiting him from seeing that they are truly sinful.  He exhibits what we would consider the cardinal vices: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath and sloth.  Thus for these he is condemned to suffering eternally.  As we hear in Jeremiah, “Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the LORD.”     

Lazarus on the other hand was a poor man who spent his days in the doorway of the rich man.  Seeing Lazarus across the chasm with our father of faith, Abraham, the rich man begs Abraham to send Lazarus over so the Lazarus could drop some water on his tongue to refresh him.  The rich man even in death hasn’t fully learned.  Abraham must explain to him that Lazarus was a good faithful man.  In fact we can almost imagine him the very opposite of the rich man exhibiting in his difficult life the Cardinal virtues:  prudence, justice, temperance (meaning restriction or restraint), and courage (or fortitude), faith, hope, and charity. 

Why are we given these two men as examples?  Jesus wants us to understand the correct way of living the way that Our Father wants us to live in our covenant with him.  For the rich man he had Abraham to explain and show him the error of his way.  For us, we have Christ.  And he reminds us, “If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.”  Let us not be hard headed like the rich man, but prayerfully ask the Lord his mercy and forgiveness that we may one day be ushered through the door of Heaven, just as poor Lazarus who sat patiently at the door waiting to be asked in. 

(Side note: Cardinal comes from a Latin word meaning hinge.  They are the hinge upon which the door swings good or bad.)

Matthew 11:28-30

In today's Gospel Jesus tells us, "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden light,"

How merciful the Lord is to invite us through obedience and patience to become docile peaceful people.  Jesus is the perpetual teacher.  He recognizes our difficulties and the hardships that we endure.  He wants to show us the better way.  To be meek is to be obedient.  There is a strength within obedience, but it is not stubborn.  It allows us to carry out the things that we are asked to do willingly.  To follow Jesus in his humbleness of heart allows us to be patient with others as we put them first before ourselves. 

In essence Jesus is teaching us that should we follow him, we will be rewarded and life will not seem as difficult because he wishes to teach us his way of love:  In obedience to the Father we serve him first, then we serve others, before ourselves.