An “attitude of gratitude” as the saying goes is good advice for our daily lives. It takes many forms: be grateful for what I have rather than obsessed about what I don’t have; “count your blessings,” we say; recognize the value of other people in your life; give so that you may receive; treat others as you wish to be treated, and so on. Simple advice but powerful in its implications.
This week in our daily Masses we hear passages from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount as St. Matthew writes in chapter 5 of his Gospel. Traditionally, this very famous sermon was given somewhere along the hillsides by the Sea of Galilee. In that region there is a beautiful chapel which commemorates that event and presents a very striking view of that peaceful lake.
What was Jesus up to as he addressed the crowds there? There is no miraculous multiplication of food, no healing miracles are noted during his address to the crowds. He doesn’t walk on water during this sermon or calm the churning sea. He speaks with the heart and mind of God.
Pope Benedict XVI in his book, Jesus of Nazareth, states about this famed sermon of Jesus: “Discipleship is possible for everyone; it is a calling for everyone . . . he (Jesus) sits there as the greater Moses, who broadens the Covenant to include all nations . . . Now God speaks intimately as one man to another.”
“As one man to another.” God speaks to us in a language we can understand. On our terms, in our time and history and his words reveal the direction of his entire mission and the overall mission given to his Church. It should mark our personal lives and the mission statements of our institutions of health care and charitable works.
We hear in the Beatitudes, “Blessed Attitudes” for gratitude – “Blessed are: the poor in spirit . . . they who mourn . . . the meek . . . those who hunger and thirst for righteousness . . . the merciful, the clean of heart, the peacemakers . . . and those persecuted for the sake of righteousness . . .” And the promise for all this? The, “Kingdom of Heaven . . . they will be comforted . . . inherit the land . . . they will be satisfied . . . they will be shown mercy . . . they will see God . . . they will be called children of God . . . your reward will be great in heaven . . .” (Mt 5: 1-12).
When you take these “Blessed Attitudes” and lay them out in the manner I just did above, you see the mark of Jesus’ disciples – the characteristics as it were of our gratitude and thankfulness. The disciples of Jesus are among the poor, the disadvantaged, those who are rejected, and those who desire to always do well, those persecuted because of their faith in Christ, and those who extend empathy, compassion, and mercy to others. But its not just about poor people since poverty takes other forms in our lives – poor “in spirit” Jesus states.
The sermon continues in Matthew 5: 13 -16 where we hear, “You are the salt of the earth . . . the light of the world . . .” Can you hear the reverence for persons that Jesus holds? To say such deserve the, “Kingdom of Heaven . . . and will be called children of God . . . and your reward will be great in heaven . . .” is to, as Pope Benedict quoted above stated, “broadens the Covenant to include all nations.” These are words for any and all who place their faith in the Lord Jesus.
The Covenant with Abraham and “his descendents for ever,” sealed and signed on Mt. Sinai with Moses and the Ten Commandments, and now in Jesus, who is the ultimate fulfillment of the Law and Prophets – Jesus transforms but does not abolish that earlier Covenant as he states in this discourse. Now, all are welcome to partake in the benefits which God desires to give us – conversion of heart and life and eternal life with Him.
In verses 13-16 of Matthew 5, Jesus uses the images of nature such as “salt and light” and familiar domestic references such as a “lamp stand and house” to convey his profound transformation of those who recognize him as the Word of God among us.
These are not just poetic words meant to inspire, bring comfort or make us just feel good for a while on an emotional high that quickly passes. They are not an award winning speech writer’s attempt to put the best spin on a tough situation. They are an explanation of the daily challenges we find in our walk with the Lord. Isn’t that ultimately what our Christian life is all about? To find the face of the Lord where ever we go in the poor, alienated, and helpless – and when we find ourselves among that group, these words of Christian living are good news for us.
Within these words of “salt and light” is likely the most controversial moral teaching Jesus ever gave – a call to walk the high moral road as a Christian: “. . . I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father.” (Mt 5: 44). Upon hearing those words we know so well, we may be tempted to ask, “Wait one minute, Jesus! I was fine until you brought that one up. Do you know what they said to me? Do you have any idea what they did to me and my reputation?” How can we forgive a sin of detraction? Better yet, why should we?
Yes, our Lord asks much of us but we must always remember what he gave for us – himself on the cross. His words, as he hung dying in agony, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Lk 23: 34) are the fulfillment of his own command to love our enemies. He indeed put his money where his mouth was. Such love is heroic, divine, and never easy. It certainly is not about comfort or being loved in return at times.
Here Jesus has laid down the gauntlet. He is essentially saying, “If you want to be my disciples, you must be different than others. You must rise to a higher level of morality and ethics and be marked by charity, forgiveness, inclusiveness, and heroism.” Such Blessed Attitudes are the mark of an authentic Christian.
St. Luke also speaks of this sermon in Lk 6: 17 – 49, a shorter version than in Matthew but the same essential points. Luke, however, has Jesus engaged in his ministry of preaching and healing and then, “he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground . . .” (Lk 6: 17). There his sermon on the plain begins in the midst of a, “great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people from all Judea and Jerusalem . . .” and well beyond. Here Christ walks among the poor, the blind, the lame, the possessed and to them and his disciples he brings these same words of hope and promise as we hear in Matthew. Still, he is like Moses, who came down from the mountain to deliver to the people the Law of God.
So, take some time this week. Pray over Matthew 5 – 7 and Luke 6: 17-49. Therein you will likely find the most famous words ever spoken. Our Blessed Attitudes of gratitude flow from such words.
In the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi:
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy.
A great big, “Amen!”
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