The Beatitudes are Jesus’ charter for the Christian Life. The Beatitudes do not replace the Ten Commandments, but they are revealed to propel us into a life of true blessedness. The rich man leaves Jesus in sadness when he finds himself unable to let go of his wealth, even though he kept all the commandments. He sought perfection, “what must I do to be perfect,” but had an ill-conceived notion of what perfection is. He thought higher perfection would win him more esteem in the eyes of men, he thought perhaps that he was already pretty close to perfection because he avoided grave sin. When Jesus invites him to “go and sell all that you have, give to the poor and then come and follow me and you will have treasure in heaven” He reveals that becoming perfect means becoming truly happy, truly blessed, truly free. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Tenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Is there a sin that cannot be forgiven? That is one of the subjects of today’s Gospel. Jesus does indeed say that there is a sin that will not be forgiven – but we need to try to understand what He means exactly. Compared to God, we are very hard on one another. We hold grudges about even very insignificant things: someone who never says “thank you,” someone who forgot to take the trash out again, someone who always takes over a conversation. Even when we are prepared to forgive bigger things, it is frequently the small things that we don’t want to let go of.
Immaculate Heart of Mary
We celebrate two hearts as liturgical feasts. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is the deep mystery of the Incarnation: what is most central and personal in man is indistinguishable, totally one with the Word. The Immaculate Heart of Mary is also a miraculous work of God, but it defines the person of Mary and her particular role in salvation. The Immaculate Heart is the pure and transparent water of grace fully received into the heart of a woman. The waters of our life so often ebb and flow, the difficulties and struggles remove our peace and we can no longer see clearly. The Sacred Heart, existing by the divinity of the Word, is invincible on its own. The Immaculate Heart of Mary is invincible by a particular grace of God animating and raising it.