The Blueprint for a Holy Life

 

 Matthew 5:1-12

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

He said:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

The beloved Beatitudes present us with a no-fail plan for a  holy, productive life, a mold for shaping us into a disciple of Jesus for our day, for our family, for our community. We have heard and prayed over these beatitudes year  after year, but how visible are they in our lives? Can others look at us and say, "Yes, there is a 'Beatitude Man or Woman'"?  Perhaps we could take one beatitude a day or for several days, reflect on it and see how we incorporate it into our lives, truly live it!. After all, aren't we here to become holy?

Bro. Rene

Dear God, you have created us to be holy and have given us the blueprint to achieve this end; help us to make serious efforts to achieve this goal. Amen.