"How to Humbly Live the Beatitudes" - 4th Sunday Homily

We welcome back Peter Van Roe, the parishioner who is in his first year of seminary.

He's going to speak to us briefly after the homily about the annual service appeal, which begins next weekend.

I'd like to take the theme of the first two readings, which is humility, and apply them to each of the Beatitudes.

Blessed are the poor in spirit.

These are the humble, who have emptied the glass of their pride, like pouring out a glass of water, and filled it with the power and grace of God.

And they, as St.

Paul says, boast in the Lord, not in themselves.

They appeal to God, like Peter will do, and to the poor they will appeal, but not themselves.

Blessed are they who mourn all the effects of sin.

There are many, many parishioners here who mourn the fact that they can't share Christ fully with their spouse or their adult children.

The meek, they are aligned with the humble.

Jesus himself says, am meek and humble of heart.

Two go together.

The meek control their anger.

because in their humility they recognize they are not perfect themselves.

So they're able to better accept imperfection around them.

It is truly inspiring to meet someone who honestly hungers and thirsts for righteousness with no alter motive, no agenda.

And we trust that those who serve the poor through the appeal live out this beatitude.

The Merciful um

humbly say, I'm sorry and I forgive you.

Clean of heart give in love and they don't take in lust.

Peacemakers do the rough and risky work of reconciliation, reconciling people to themselves and to God.

Persecuted for the sake of righteousness.

Parents, good parents, realize it needs humility to be given grief regularly by their kids, always harping on what's right.

Being insulted and persecuted falsely because of Christ.

You made a humble journey to Mass this morning and a cold journey to Mass this morning and maybe hear it from your family and friends.

But when you come here, you hear Jesus say, rejoice and be glad, reward will be great in heaven, but also on earth.

The reward is in on this earth, this very hour in the Eucharist.