Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time | Bishop Schlert

Gospel Reading
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven."
Mt 5:1-12a

Gospel Reflection
Praised be Jesus Christ!

The Gospel for this Sunday is the very familiar list of the Beatitudes. Oftentimes, the Beatitudes are seen as almost a replacement of the Ten Commandments. However, this is far from the case as Christ Himself reminds us that he did not come to abolish the law of the Old Testament but to fulfill it (Mt 5:17). Instead, the Beatitudes are an extension and a reflection upon the Ten Commandments.

What the Beatitudes give us is a meditation on the lived experience of a disciple of Christ; for blessed are those who are poor, who morn, who are meek, who hunger, who are merciful, who are persecuted (cf. Mt 5: 3-10). If we truly reflect upon the Beatitudes, hopefully, we will hear our own story, with our own experiences present in at least a few of them.

In all, these Beatitudes call us to trust. They are calling us to turn toward the Lord in all our struggles and desires -- to turn toward Him who can truly set us free. Today, let us never be afraid to turn toward Christ in the Holy Eucharist for all our needs so that we truly can be called a Disciple of Christ living the Beatitudes.

As always, know of my prayers before Our Lord present in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

+ BIshop Schlert



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