From the responsorial psalm: “The LORD will guard you from all evil; he will guard your life. The LORD will guard your coming and your going, both now and forever. Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 5:1-12)
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Every word from today’s readings perfectly express God’s care for his people, guarding their coming and going and blessing us at each way of being in this life. What else is there to do but give thanks to God for the strength and confidence given to the meek, comfort given to those who mourn, and mercy to those who are merciful? And for each place we find ourselves in life, God blesses us abundantly with what we need to receive and in turn give away.
Praise and thanks to you, Lord, for your many blessings
of love, forgiveness, mercy, and peace. Help me strive to live out the beatitudes and trust in the truth of them in word and deed, as Jesus did. Suffering will come; crosses will come every day that obscure vision. Give me purity of heart so I can see you clearly, Lord, and the grace to be merciful because you yourself are mercy. Eternal glory to you, Lord!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.