MEDITATION ON THE LUMINOUS MYSTERIES
Third Luminous Mystery: The Proclamation of the Kingdom and the Call to Conversion
Matthew 5:3,6.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven...Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall have their fill.”
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven...Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice, for they shall have their fill.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church: #1427, 1989, 670
Reflection:
One of the ways that God reaches man is through words. The spoken word—and even the written word that seems to leap off of the page when we read it—has the power to pierce and move hearts. And when that word is full of truth, it has a mysterious resonance in the heart, a kind of magnetic attraction for the soul that is truly hungry for what is right, true, and good. When Christ came to proclaim the Kingdom of God, he made a series of appeals to the heart—invitations to a life of greater poverty, simplicity, honesty, and wholehearted service. Some perceived the beauty of that call and rose up to follow it. Others did not. Why? Perhaps some become entrenched in their own supposed righteousness, so burdened by the need to maintain appearances that they cannot rise up in response to the call. The accessories of success keep them weighted down. Others are so hungry for God, in some cases, so humiliated by life, that they feel entirely free to let go of everything, even their pride. Others are simply pure of heart, focused on what is good and not on self at all. There are so many reasons why some do and some do not follow Jesus, and he alone knows the story of each soul. Where do we stand? What does he see in our hearts?
One of the ways that God reaches man is through words. The spoken word—and even the written word that seems to leap off of the page when we read it—has the power to pierce and move hearts. And when that word is full of truth, it has a mysterious resonance in the heart, a kind of magnetic attraction for the soul that is truly hungry for what is right, true, and good. When Christ came to proclaim the Kingdom of God, he made a series of appeals to the heart—invitations to a life of greater poverty, simplicity, honesty, and wholehearted service. Some perceived the beauty of that call and rose up to follow it. Others did not. Why? Perhaps some become entrenched in their own supposed righteousness, so burdened by the need to maintain appearances that they cannot rise up in response to the call. The accessories of success keep them weighted down. Others are so hungry for God, in some cases, so humiliated by life, that they feel entirely free to let go of everything, even their pride. Others are simply pure of heart, focused on what is good and not on self at all. There are so many reasons why some do and some do not follow Jesus, and he alone knows the story of each soul. Where do we stand? What does he see in our hearts?
In this mystery, we can ask Mary to show us the way to get closer to that eternal Kingdom where obedience sets us free.
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