Blessed are the merciful, for they will obtain mercy. (Mt 5:17) According to Fr. Daniel Harrington, S.J. (Sacra Pagina, The Gospel of Matthew, pp. 79), “Mercy is first of all an attribute of God, who in turn desires mercy from human beings...
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. (Mt 5:6) In Proverbs (24:6), we are reminded that “though the just fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble from only one mishap.”...
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. (Mt 5:5) Psalm 37:11 states: “But the meek shall possess the land, and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.” According to Fr. Daniel Harrington, S.J., “The Qumran...
Blessed are the mourners, for they will be comforted. (Mt 5:4) As Fr. Daniel Harrington, S.J. (Sacred Pagina, The Gospel of Matthew, pp.79) reminds, “the background is Isaiah 61:2-3 where the prophet’s mission involves comforting all...
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Mt 5:3) According to Fr. Daniel Harrington, S.J (Sacra Pagina, The Gospel of Matthew, pp.78), “the beatitudes should be read against the Old Testament tradition of...
In Matthew’s Gospel, the Beatitudes (5:3-12) appear directly after the introduction to the Sermon on the Mount. The introduction reads: “When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up to the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to...
Once there was a man named Ralph who was known for always maintaining a cheerful, hope-filled attitude no matter what happened; he remained calm and contented even over the course of several years of financial setbacks, family problems, and health...
A critic once challenged me by declaring that my homilies were preaching a message of failure to a bunch of losers. He was suggesting that the Good News of Jesus Christ is directed at losers, not at winners. Today’s Gospel account in which we find...
