Daily Gospel Reflection
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June 8, 2020
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Just as Moses climbs Mount Sinai to receive the Law from God, the disciples are called onto the mountain to hear the Beatitudes directly from God made flesh. Jesus sits to signal he is teaching from authority.
In a sense, the Beatitudes are a continuation of the Mosaic law and build on the 10 Commandments. As Jesus says later, he doesn’t wish to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it. The Beatitudes don’t replace Mosaic law. In verses 11 and 12, Jesus even compares his followers to the prophets of old.
Even with two sets of God-given guidebooks (so to speak), it can be tempting to excuse questionable behavior because we just don’t know what God wants us to do. The Commandments are specific: don’t lie, don’t covet, etc. The Beatitudes are vague: blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are the meek, etc. When we examine these texts and still can’t find an explicit answer to our question, we have another resource. God gave us his son as an example of perfect righteousness.
The laws and examples God gives us are a reminder of how much God values our free will. God won’t force us to honor God as we should. God tells us and shows us how to love so that we can freely choose to follow Christ.
The boundary between humility and deliberate blindness to God’s will can be blurry. Thomas Merton’s prayer calls to mind that “the fact that I may think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.” Though humility requires that we recognize our own inability to know God’s ways, truly desiring to please God requires that we use the resources God has given us to follow as best we can.
Prayer
Gracious God, you know how deeply we long for wholeness and a deeper happiness than we find in things and possessions. Teach us to take your Son’s beatitudes to heart, so that in letting go of those things that bind our hearts and minds, we may experience something of the joy and wonder now being experienced by all the saints in heaven. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. Medard or Medardus is a popular saint from northern France. Medard was born around the year 456 to a Frankish noble. His ancient legend describes him as having a twin brother, St. Gilard, who also became a bishop.
At the age of 33, Medard succeeded the previous bishop as Bishop of Vermand. As befits a saintly man, Medard protested the elevated rank of bishop, but the people insisted, so he accepted the responsibilities.
Medard moved his diocese's seat to Noyon, a stronger city, as there were conflicts between the Burgundians and Merovingian kingdoms near his region of France. Medard was purportedly the advisor to the King Clotaire.
Medard is famously the patron saint to be called upon when needing protection from bad weather. His legend tells that, as a child, he was sheltered from a rainstorm by an eagle, which the drawing to the left incorporates.
After Medard's death in 545, the people of France venerated his memory with great fervor and began relying on his heavenly generosity for many different cases. Medard is a patron saint invoked for protection against weather and of toothaches, two common annoyances; and sterility and imprisonment.
If that weren't enough for one saint to handle, Medard is also the patron saint of vineyards, brewers, those suffering from mental illness, and peasants.
St. Medardus, joyful and beloved bishop—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Medardus is in the public domain. Last accessed March 18, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
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