1. Gospel Sharing
Matthew 5:1-12
Good Morning Canossians! This is Ms. Hara.
St. Matthew places this discourse: The 8 Beatitudes, somewhere in the hill country bordering the lake of Tiberias.
The reason for mentioning a mountain, is to remind us, of Mount Sinai where Moses received the Law in Ex. 19.
In this first discourse of Jesus, Matthew present him as a Master, giving to Israel and to all humankind the new
and definitive Law.
Fortunate! This first paragraph, introduces the new people of God, to them the Law is given. Let us not forget
that for the Bible, the Law is not only the matter of commandments; it includes also God’s interventions and
declarations which have made Israel a special people, called to a world mission. The Law had been given to the
“children of Abraham and Israel” who were guided out of Egypt by Moses. Exclamations like these abound: How
fortunate you are, Israel! Meaning: What luck to have been chosen! And how privileged you are to be God’s
people, among all other nations! You are indeed fortunate for it is to you that God has spoken.
Who are these chosen ones, who surely must consider themselves overjoyed to be so, called? They are the poor,
those who weep, those who have often been tempted to curse their misfortune, their sins, their personal conflicts,
Matthew gives us eight beatitudes.
Matthew adapts Jesus’ words, to his audience of Christian believers. The Church had already spread and
Christian communities brought together all kind of people: slaves, ordinary people and wealthy ones. Matthew
tells them that the Gospel is significant for each of them. It is not only by being poor that they will please God,
but by their inner attitude, and way of life. He says: Fortunate are those who are spiritually poor, adding the pure
of heart, those who work for peace….
Those said to be “fortunate” are not so because of what they suffer, they are fortunate because they are admitted
to the Kingdom. The Kingdom of heaven means literally the Kingdom of God.
In the Beatitudes, the kingdom of God is at the same time the land of Palestine promised to the children of
Abraham and the land where peace reigns for God is present there. Those who hunger for justice will be given
both bread and the holiness of God, because in the Bible, justice also signifies: being as God wishes us to be.
Because of this, Jesus tells us, that we shall be satisfied or consoled. Our consolation on earth is to know and see
that God loves us, and cares for us, and in spite of all, can overturn the situation of the oppressed. It is also to
know, that even when it seems, he does not hear our prayer, our cross has meaning and purpose. Finally, we must
not forget that in our future life, God will give us more than we could ever hope for, or merit. It is certain
however, that Matthew has reorientated the language of Jesus, inviting us to look higher, than what we are here
and now.
Thank you for listening and God Bless.