First reading 1 Kings 17:1-6
The Lord sends Elijah into the wilderness
Elijah the Tishbite, of Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord lives, the God of Israel whom I serve, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years except at my order.’
The word of the Lord came to him, ‘Go away from here, go eastwards, and hide yourself in the wadi Cherith which lies east of Jordan. You can drink from the stream, and I have ordered the ravens to bring you food there.’ He did as the Lord had said; he went and stayed in the wadi Cherith which lies east of Jordan. The ravens brought him bread in the morning and meat in the evening, and he quenched his thirst at the stream.
Responsorial Psalm 120(121)
Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
I lift up my eyes to the mountains;
from where shall come my help?
My help shall come from the Lord
who made heaven and earth.
May he never allow you to stumble!
Let him sleep not, your guard.
No, he sleeps not nor slumbers,
Israel’s guard.
The Lord is your guard and your shade;
at your right side he stands.
By day the sun shall not smite you
nor the moon in the night.
The Lord will guard you from evil,
he will guard your soul.
The Lord will guard your going and coming
both now and for ever.
Gospel Matthew 5:1-12
How happy are the poor in spirit
Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:
‘How happy are the poor in spirit;
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy the gentle:
they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Happy those who mourn:
they shall be comforted.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:
they shall be satisfied.
Happy the merciful:
they shall have mercy shown them.
Happy the pure in heart:
they shall see God.
Happy the peacemakers:
they shall be called sons of God.
Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven: this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.’
_________________________________________
True happiness
In today’s Gospel, Jesus shows us what true happiness is, which differs greatly from the happiness defined by the world: Blessed are those who know they need God, not the self-sufficient. Blessed are the gentle, those who mourn, and those who seek justice: they long for what is right. Blessed are the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers: those who let God’s compassion, honesty, and peace flow through them. Blessed are the persecuted: those who stay faithful to Christ even when it is hard.
Jesus lived the Beatitudes in His own life. He invites us to follow Him and let our lives reflect the Beatitudes. Although walking this path may seem like a loss at times, Jesus calls it blessed because it opens the door to God’s Kingdom, both in this life and in the life to come.
Reflective questions:
Which Beatitude speaks most to my life situation today? Why?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
