Who are blessed?

We ordinarily consider ourselves blessed when we are rich with material possessions or when we are successful in our careers or when we win the elections or attain fame in show-biz or in winning competitions in just about any field or get the jackpot prize in ‘game-ka-na-ba or get to be an instant millionaire for winning in the lotto. When we think of blessings we usually think in terms of earthly riches, fame, power; we think of being always number one in every enterprise and we are greedy for everything that will get us what we so doggedly want to get us the first places even at the cost of corruption in government, in business. We want to be the elite of society by all means.

Pride and power especially the power of having the most money, the largest estates and lands even at the expense of helpless laborers, farmers, tenants, tillers of the soil – all this have taken the toll of our hapless land while the Filipino stands wondering where the solutions are to our economic and social problems, where we can find our peace, where is the hope of our country. And the dilemma is that the law, meetings, conferences, debates, even the battles fought in Congress instead of finding the right solutions even weaken the efforts of our countrymen who go out of their way to alleviate the plight of the marginalized, the downtrodden, exploited, the victims of oppression, the anomalies of capital in its relation to labor; the unemployed in a highly competitive business arena.

Where are the solutions, where the hope that would bring justice, freedom and peace? The Word of God today, recalls the traditional site now called the Mount of the Beatitudes where Jesus uttered the immortal words of the beatitudes, the most wonderful principles of the blessed life. Nobody, maybe among those still madly pursuing material benefits and power, would take to Jesus’ teaching on what constitutes blessedness. Why? The Beatitudes teach a very radical Christianity which would not cater easily to those living in extravagance and aristocratic luxury. For the truth Jesus speaks of here is a blessing of grace, and grace is beyond nature, a supernatural order: the beatific vision, the resurrection of the flesh, a heaven in the perfected communion of saints. This is what is meant by Jesus’ sermon on the mount. Radically in opposition to the common earthly run of materialism, of the pride of power, it is total ultimate perfection our whole human nature, fallen, but being redeemed by the grace merited by the life, passion, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, the Beatitudes are radically opposed to our tendencies as fallen man and is the only hope of its redemption.

Only the grace of God can give us the lift to enter the difficult terrain leading to blessedness. The grace of God alone will give the light which would make us understand the paradoxes of blessedness: "God chose the foolish of the world to shame the wise, the weak of the world to shame the strong; and God chose the lowly and despised of the world, those who count for nothing so that no human being might boast before God. It is due to Him that you are in Christ Jesus who became for us Wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification and redemption" (1 Cor 1:27-30).

The prophet gives the bottomline in blessedness: "Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth who have observed His law; seek justice, seek humility. . .I will leave as a remnant in your midst, a people humble and lowly who shall take refuge in the name of the Lord; they shall do no wrong" (Zeph 2:3:3:13).

Who are truly blessed? Jesus in His sermon on the mount answers this question: "...the poor in spirit...the meek...those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (meaning those who live in conformity to God’s Will)...the merciful...the clean of heart, the peacemakers...those who suffer for justice sake...theirs is the Kingdom of God" (Mt 5:1-12).

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Matthew 5:1-12).