Who are blessed?

A most powerful prayer among us Filipino devotees of Blessed Mother Mary is the holy Rosary which reflects on twenty mysteries in the life of Jesus. They must also be acquainted with the second joyful mystery, the visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth where our Blessed Mother sang the Magnificat. In her beautiful canticle of praise to God, she utters this prophecy: "… behold, from now on all ages will call me blessed." (Lk 1:48).

To discover the meaning of the word "blessed" as it is used in the Gospel of today, we have to look at the Beatitudes, the utterances of Jesus in which He tells us who are the blessed we take the lead from that canticle of Mary. The qualities set forth there are also those we also see in the Blessed Virgin. She herself affirms in her canticle: "… my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked upon His handmaid’s lowliness. His mercy is from age to age in those who fear Him; He dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart; thrown down the rulers from their thrones but lifted up the lowly. The hungry He has filled with good things, the rich He has sent away empty, remembering His mercy" (Lk 1:47-54).

The Beatitudes comprise the total perfection of the whole human person who has been blessed by grace in an order above the natural – the "beatific vision", the resurrection of the flesh, heaven. Why did Jesus deliver His "Sermon on the Mount"? We already have the ten commandments. The ten commandments, the law handed to Moses on Mr. Sinai, are mostly concerned with specific, definitive action related to the law; the beatitudes express what the Christian is, the basic attitude of mind and heart – poverty of spirit, purity of heart, being meek and humble of heart, patience in suffering, peaceloving. The beautitudes go deeper; they reach out to the heart. Not only is killing wrong, but also hating one’s brother; not only is adultery wrong, but also unchaste desire or "adultery of the heart" (Mt. 5:28). With regard to good works like almsgiving, prayer and fasting, Jesus is concerned with the right motivation, lest these good works become an external show. There is here the abolition of "vendetta" the old practice of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth".

The beatitudes represent the process of sanctification in our Christian life, from the recognition of our poverty because without God we are nothing, to humility because we cannot be proud of anything. Everything is a gift from God and we are dependent on Him. To the peacemakers, the likeness of God is given, which means a participation of God’s self-giving love. We cannot see all this unless we clear our heart of all dross of pride, lust of pleasure, power and the impurity of sin.

Thus the utterances of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount as Luke and Matthew gives them in the parallels of the Beatitudes: "Blessed are you who are poor for the Kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now weeping for you will be comforted. Blessed are you when people denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man, … behold your reward will be great in heaven" (Lk 6:20-23). Blessed are the pure of heart, they shall see God" (Mt 5:9).

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Luke 6:17.20-26.