Meditation on the Beatitudes by St Francis of Assisi - Relevant still today...

How is your day? Are you finding it hard to cope with the pressures of your life? Are you too busy to be bothering with reading pious platitudes that only make you cranky? OK this is for you..
Try the following. Read the Psalm slowly and thoughtfully. Then pause for two minutes. Read the Gospel passage slowly and then reflect on the following meditation by St Francis of Assisi (the one the new Pope Francis took his name after).
You will instantly find peace in your soul and realise what you have been doing wrong. I know, I did...

Psalm 34(33):2-3.4-5.6-7.8-9.

I will bless the LORD at all times;
His praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
The lowly will hear me and be glad.

Glorify the LORD with me,
Let us together extol his name.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me
And delivered me from all my fears.

Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
And your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
And from all his distress he saved him.

The angel of the LORD encamps
Around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
Blessed the man who takes refuge in him.

Mt 5:1-12.

When he 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. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.


 Commentary of the day :

Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226)

"Theirs is the kingdom of heaven"

“Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of
God” (Mt 5:9). The servant of God cannot know how much patience and
humility he has within himself as long as everything goes well with him.
But when the time comes in which those who should do him justice do quite
the opposite to him, he has only as much patience and humility as he has on
that occasion and no more. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the
kingdom of heaven is theirs.” There are many who, applying themselves
insistently to prayers and good deeds, engage in much abstinence and many
mortifications of their bodies, but they are scandalized and quickly roused
to anger by a single word which seems injurious to their person, or by some
other things which might be taken from them. These persons are not poor in
spirit because a person who is truly poor in spirit hates himself and loves
those who strike him on the cheek (cf. Mk 8,34; Mt 5:39). “Blessed are
the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God” (Mt
5:9).The true peacemakers are those who preserve peace of mind and body for
love of our Lord Jesus Christ, despite what they suffer in this world.
“Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8). 2.
The truly pure of heart are those who despise the things of earth and seek
the things of heaven, and who never cease to adore and behold the Lord God
living and true with a pure heart and soul.