Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time
(I Kings 17:1-6; Matthew 5:1-12)
Today we return to Ordinary
Time after almost a quarter of a year contemplating the Easter mystery. We say ordinary
as if we expect nothing unusual to happen except, of course, perhaps a change
of venue for a while during the summer and perhaps the celebration of our
birthday. But that is not what “Ordinary
Time” in the liturgical sense is all about.
Now is the time to encounter the Lord Jesus; it is the time to work out
our salvation. Ordinary is meant to signal the order of weeks – one following
another – on one day of which we will find our salvation.
Today’s gospel indicates how the experience will affect
us. When we come to know the Lord, we
will act like him. We will live “poor in
spirit,” that is completely at God’s disposition not calculating on securing
dividends for ourselves. We will mourn our
sins and meekly confess them so to breathe freely again. But we will show understanding, even mercy for
fellow sinners. The drive for power and
pleasure will not sully our hearts. Quite
the contrary, we will pursue justice in all our dealings with others. Our motive like St. Francis’ will be to
reconcile differences so that the world may have peace. Even if it means suffering persecution, we
will not shirk from doing what God wants of us.
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