Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
This Week’s Intention: In thanksgiving for all Lasallian educators, whose faith and zeal for their ministry continues to make their schools places of salvation for all, especially those most in need.
Today’s Gospel | Matthew 5:1-12
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
From the Fourth Meditation for the Time of Retreat | St. John Baptist de La Salle
Jesus Christ, speaking to his Apostles, told them that he gave an example to them, so that they may do as he had done. He also wanted his disciples to accompany him at all the conversions he brought about, so that seeing how he acted, they could be guided and formed by his conduct in all they would have to do to win souls to God. This is also what you must do, because Jesus Christ has chosen you among so many others to be his cooperators in the salvation of souls. In reading the Gospel, you must study the manner and the means that he used to lead his disciples to practice the truths of the Gospel.
Sometimes he proposed as a happiness everything that the world holds in horror, such as poverty, injuries, insults, slander, and every kind of persecution for the sake of justice, even telling his disciples that they ought to be glad and rejoice when such things happen to them.
At other times he inspired horror for the sins into which people ordinarily fall, or he proposed virtues to practice, such as gentleness, humility, and the like.
He also made them understand that unless their justice surpassed that of the scribes and the Pharisees (who bothered themselves about externals only), they would not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Prayer
Eternal Father, Jesus spoke to people in words that showed to them your heart, so that they might come to know the greatness of the love that you had for them. May we hear and rejoice in these same words today. Help us to accept in faith and humility your gift of salvation. Help us, too, to live these beatitudes in our relationships with one another, to become the presence of your honesty, justice, mercy, righteousness, and love in this world. We ask this of you who lives and reigns with your Son and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.
St. John Baptist de La Salle, pray for us.
Live Jesus in our hearts forever.