Skip to main content
Pope Benedict XVI (Joseph Ratzinger) writes in his book Jesus of Nazareth about the Sermon on the Mount and focuses on each Beatitude. Benedict writes that the third Beatitude, Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the land, is mostly about peace that is connected to freedom and land. Just as the Israelites longed for their own land, the new Israel (Christians) also long for a place to live in obedience to God. This idea that God promises land as a place that allows an openness to God, a place that is free from the temptations of the world, is a concept that must be explored more fully. Benedict goes on to say that "Israel was scattered across the world so that it might everywhere create space for God and thus fulfill the purpose of creation suggested by the first creation account [in Genesis1:1-2:4]." I may be out of my depth here but it appears that Benedict is making a connection between the old and new that signals a call to all Christians. It reignites the urgency that Christ first asks of us, namely that we spread the gospel to all people. That concept is somewhat foreign to many Catholics who prefer to go to Mass each Sunday and then leave the work of the Church to the priests and bishops. But we cannot sustain this model and the weakness of this model has surely been revealed over and over again. We are called as disciples of the Lord to spread the word. We are the Israelites who have been dispersed throughout the earth to bring the Good News to all people. Benedict writes in another section of this discussion of the third Beatitude that "Every Eucharistic assembly is for us Christians a place where the king of peace reigns...The universal communion of Christ's Church is thus a preliminary sketch of the world of tomorrow, which is destined to become the land of Jesus Christ's peace."  Is this the land that Jesus promised in the Beatitude? If so, is your church a land of peace? Is it a place where Christians are drawn to be free to worship and celebrate God? If so, how are you contributing to this "world of tomorrow"? If not, what can you do to make it so? Is there a meekness in your church that promotes this peace? We have talked before on this blog about the danger of allowing strife to build in your church. This meekness that Jesus is talking about is beneficial to your future and allows the peacemakers to work in the world. We are all called to be these peacemakers. Are you going to be meek for the Lord? Are you going to be part of the new Israel?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Woman, Behold Your Son

The spiritual climax of the Gospel of John, as Father John Waiss points out, occurs at the foot of the Cross, where Jesus utters his parting words: “Woman, behold, your son!” and “Behold your mother!” (John 19:26-27). While these words were addressed to the Apostle John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, the Church has long understood this moment as a universal adoption. To truly image Christ, we must share in His parentage; if we embrace God as our spiritual Father but reject Mary as our mother, we treat Christ as a half-brother rather than our "firstborn among many brethren" (Rom. 8:29). As Origen noted as early as the third century, the profound depths of the Gospel are only accessible to those who, like John, rest their heads on Jesus’ breast and receive Mary into their own homes. This maternal role is deeply rooted in biblical typology, positioning Mary as the fulfillment of the great mothers of the Old Covenant. She is the New Eve , the mother of all the living according ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Praying With The Five Wounds Of Jesus

I am just beginning to dive into the beautiful, ancient devotion to the Five Wounds of Jesus, and I wanted to share a bit of the journey with you. It can feel a little overwhelming at first to look at the Crucifix this closely, but I’ve found such a gentle guide in St. Bernard of Clairvaux . In his Jubilee Rhythm on the Passion, Bernard doesn't treat the wounds of Jesus as distant historical facts or sights to be avoided. Instead, he approaches them with the tenderness of a friend, speaking directly to the feet, hands, side, and face of our Lord. For someone like me who is just starting out, his rhythm teaches that prayer isn't just about reciting words; it’s a holy hide-and-seek. Bernard invites us to literally hide ourselves within these wounds, seeing them as clefts in the rock where we can find shelter when our own lives feel turbulent or heavy. As I start this process, I’ve been practicing what I call gazing and greeting. Following Bernard’s lead, I look at the Crucifix an...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Gentleness of a Doctor: St. Anthony’s Devotion

St. Anthony of Padua is widely revered as the "Hammer of Heretics" and a "Doctor of the Church," titles that suggest a formidable and perhaps distant intellectual. However, the heart of Anthony’s ministry was a profound, tender love for the person of Jesus Christ that transcended mere academic study. For Anthony, Christ was not just a theological concept to be defended, but a living presence to be embraced. This deep intimacy was the engine behind his legendary preaching; he didn't just speak about the Word, he spoke from a place of friendship with the Word. His life serves as a beautiful reminder that the greatest heights of wisdom are always reached through the simplest acts of love and humility. This interior devotion is most famously captured in the ubiquitous image of St. Anthony holding the Infant Jesus. This iconographic tradition stems from a mystical event late in his life while he was staying at the home of a friend, Count Tiso. The Count peered throug...
Post a Comment
Read more