Blessed are the pure in heart
Listening the Spirit
Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful. And kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you will renew the face of the earth.
Lord, by the light of the Holy Spirit you have taught the hearts of your faithful. In the same Spirit help us to relish what is right and always rejoice in your consolation.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Listening the Word: Matthew 5:1-12a
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."
Reflection
The saints that we celebrate today are not just the saints that have their names in the calendars or in the missal, but all the people that are in heaven, because all the people who are in heaven with God are saints. There are very ordinary people, and there are also our ancestors that are in heaven. Today we celebrate all the people who are in heaven who were good people: Christians and people of other religions who, during their life, tried to live according to the great commandment of love for God and for others.
In the gospel today, Jesus gives us a sort of picture of holiness, which is His own picture. The beatitudes are the characteristics of Jesus Christ Himself: He was the one with the poor in spirit, the one with the pure heart, working for peace, for justice, and so on. It is like a picture of Jesus that we have there.
In these eight beatitudes, we have the possibility of choosing, because normally it is not possible to be good in all these things. But if we try at least to fulfill one of these characteristics, we will be worthy of heaven.
Today, I want to underline especially the pure of heart, who have the reward to see God, Jesus said. The people who are pure of heart are not those who do not have bad thoughts or bad desires. They are those who are honest and sincere, who do not try to hide what they have in their heart, because they show themselves as they are. They are the opposite of the hypocrites, the Pharisees, who show themselves to be very good. The pure in heart are those people who show themselves as they are, people who are not double, who do not say something and do something else.
The pure in heart is the transparent heart. People who are transparent will see God, because that is how God Himself is. What God says is the truth of Himself. God never cheats anyone. If God says something, He will keep it; if He promises something, He will keep His promise. This is the pure in heart: people who show themselves to be what they are, like God when He told Moses His name. He said, "I AM WHO I AM." I am not something different; this is the way I am, and I am not afraid to show that I am like this. People like this will see God. They are worthy to be with God in heaven. It is one of the eight beatitudes.
Reflection Questions
1. How can I become a person with a pure and transparent heart, someone whose words and actions are sincere and honest, even when it is difficult?
2. Which of the Beatitudes do I feel most called to live out in my daily life, so that I may become more like Jesus and grow in holiness?
