09/24/2025 – Blessed are the Poor
Scripture: Matthew 5: And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Reflection: In His first sermon, as He opened the proclamation of His kingdom, the first revelation our Lord Jesus gave us was a description of God’s plan to give the children of God fullness of joy. It seems to be one of the most basic misconceptions for all people, even the disciples of Christ. His description is the opposite of what we would associate with the joys of a good life. He proclaimed that those who are truly blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers and the persecuted. They are blessed despite their present situation because God has promised to give them the kingdom of heaven and the earth for an inheritance. Fullness of joy requires God’s blessing.
Note that the Lord emphasizes that this inheritance is ALREADY ours. This means that all the blessings and responsibilities of the kingdom of heaven are already ours. We say of the nation where we were born: “this is my country”. You are a stranger, a foreigner and pilgrim on this earth. But our true citizenship is in heaven! We speak the language of heaven! We share the culture of heaven!