Monday 10 June 2024

Today is Monday 10 June, in the 10th week of Ordinary Time. Jon Guerra sings, ‘The Kingdom of God’. Reflect today on the mercy and compassion of God as you enter into prayer… Oh that I could see your face How I’m longing for that day Brighter sun of holy grace Make my heart a holy place Blessed are the poor who have nothing to own Blessed are the mourners who are crying alone Blessed are the guilty who have nowhere to go For their hearts have a road to the kingdom of God And their souls are the songs of the kingdom of God And they will find a refuge for theirs is the kingdom of God Beauty shining from your face Always longed to see this place Is there somewhere I can stay? Even just a couple days? Blessed are the poor who have nothing to own Blessed are the mourners who are crying alone Blessed are the guilty who have nowhere to go For their hearts have a road to the kingdom of God And their souls are the songs of the kingdom of God And they will find a refuge for theirs is the kingdom of God The Lord is our shepherd, we shall not want In valley or pasture, we shall not want Our cup runneth over and over For now and forever For now and forever The Lord is our shepherd, we shall not want In valley or pasture, we shall not want Our cup runneth over and over For now and forever For now and forever For now and forever For now and forever Blessed are the poor who have nothing to own Blessed are the mourners who are crying alone Blessed are the guilty who have nowhere to go For their hearts have a road to the kingdom of God And their souls are the songs of the kingdom of God And they will find a refuge for theirs is the kingdom of God Oh that I could see your face How I’m longing for that day Today’s reading is from the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew 5:1-12 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. We are invited today to be once again captivated by this famous and stunning passage. We hear a royal announcement that God is turning the world upside down – or, rather, the right way up. Go with the crowd that has followed Jesus away from the villages and up onto the hillside. What can you hear? What does it mean to the people listening? Can you feel their excitement? This crowd of people, fed up with the way they’re being treated by their rulers, wants to hear that God is going to help them. But Jesus is not only saying that! He’s saying that it’s the meek who will inherit the earth – not the rich, the powerful, the violent or the pushy. How does this make you feel, comfortable perhaps or a bit uneasy? Listen to the reading again, but this time notice your reaction to what Jesus is saying here. Would you be one of the few to leave everything and follow him? As this prayer time comes to a close, perhaps I can ask the Lord to help me to hear His voice, to accept His challenge, and for the strength to follow in the way of His kingdom. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.