(Mt.5:1-11)
Archbishop Sheen in his book “ The Life of Christ” mentions that the moment Jesus gave the sermon on the mount, the shadow of the cross fell on him because the spirit of the Beatitudes was contrary to the spirit of the world. Jesus is giving, in today’s Gospel, a route map to the happiness of life that is contrary to what the world is offering.
The words from the Sermon on the Mount are words of great comfort and joy to all those who live according to the will of God.
The first eight deal with the attitudes the follower of Christ should have towards the world while the ninth deals with those who suffer for their faith in Christ.
When we are buffeted by the hardships of life, when we are afflicted with sickness or diseases, and when we are confronted with failures and disasters in life, we wonder whether we are condemned or punished. We often think in those instances that we are not the ones who are blessed by the grace of God. Poverty, humility, suffering, hungering for justice, establishing peace where there is discord, and being open to holiness are not considered very valuable in the eyes of the world that looks with admiration at those who have power and wealth.
But, Jesus preaches a different set of values for us to follow. It is in suffering, poverty, peace and in reconciliation that God comes to our life.
To all those who pursue a way of life that is in conformity to the spirit of the Gospel, Jesus announces that they are blessed and are favored in the eyes of God.
Today as we listen to the words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount, let us reorient our vision of life and follow a road map to happiness that consists in submission to the will of God.
What matters is not what we have but how much we are willing to give. When we are humble and poor, we become rich. When we help others and work for peace and justice, we become the children of God. When our hearts avoid the attractions and the lure of the world, our vision becomes God-oriented.
It is in the silence and anonymity of our lives that we reach the heights of happiness. We don’t have to be worried any more whether we are appreciated and admired by the world. We don’t have to pay any attention to the praise and applause from the crowd. The derision of the world does not matter. What is important is whether we are leading our lives in true attachment to our Lord.
The Sermon on the Mount, hence, is a source of great inspiration and power in our lives. It offers us confidence and strength to lead our lives in the right direction. What Jesus reminds us every day is not to pay attention to the glamor and glory that world offers but to pay close heed to His voice in our heart.
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