Today’s Scripture Readings

Gospel Reading

NRSV

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The lofty ethical demands of the Beatitudes make it clear from the outset that the Sermon on the Mount is a peak of moral perfection more challenging than any hill in Galilee. So how do we respond? In a world that teaches us to value money, power, and success, can we honestly aspire to be poor, meek and persecuted? Do we even want to? Quite honestly, I know that I generally don’t want blessings of this kind! And thus the impossibility of striving for something that I don’t even want turns the Beatitudes into impotent platitudes.

A modest proposal: stop expecting instant holiness. Instead, begin where you are. For today, pick one of the Beatitudes—just one—and think about how you can apply it to your life as it is. I know that I can’t be indifferent to money, but I can practise poverty of spirit by being generous in small ways—like giving something to a homeless person who asks for help. I know that I’m not as meek as St Francis, but I can resolve to act gently the next time I’m in the presence of that colleague at work or school whose aggressive behaviour annoys me so much.

Carrying out such little acts may not seem like much, but it is everything. Jesus gave us these instructions not to make us despair, but to lead us to joy. He calls us to the heights but knows that it will be a long climb—and in this life, the climbing itself is perfection. Even the smallest step in the way of the Beatitudes already achieves a kind of holiness. In just beginning, we are truly blessed.