Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
lessons on a mountain
When Moses once went up get 10 communed with God who spirit
gave body of the law
Now God Himself w/ no other
who spirit, gives spirit law
kingdom land kingdom of heaven
Both important spirit and body
new ones are the life behind the true commandments
not just as a ‘thou shalt not’ but ‘happy (makarios) are those’...
do all things for Goodness, and so tells that these things give goodness/blessedness
but whats fascinating flips on head happy/blessed,
modeled on his own life who is Goodness Himself, God
What is something each 8 beatitude teaches?
Poor
sums up b/c kingdom is theirs
Literally beggar/ dependent on others in spirit
Basically don’t be prideful, turned in on self,
external objective vs subjective
if really aimed objective, that which is
only way you will go wrong is by pardonable accident for the desire for the objective is the desire for God
Truth, he who is, goodness itself
Mourn
Fathers say applies to sorrow over fallen condition
sin and distant from God
if satisfied to have this life forever then God’s plan which eventually ends this life will be abhorrent
see its aimed subjective, not how things are
don’t hear what they arent saying, not a teaching against inner peace, but with being dissatisfied with anything but God
Meek
inherit earth
opposite of what might think
meek as opposed to making your power felt
open handed rather than grasping
demanding your rights at every moment vs letting go
might will conquer, but instead it is often the more mild mannered that come to power in the end
Hunger Righteous
lest we think mourn and meek sitting on hands
seek out justice
idea of a selfless zealous crusader
your quest will end in victory if start hungering for the right things
Merciful
just mentioned righteousness, so must mention mercy
justice w/o mercy, mercy w/o justice
what is mercy?
Not letting justice go otherwise former makes no sense
Forgiving wrongs to you, ya absolutely but not mercy itself b/c then can’t call charity donations works of mercy b/c not about forgiveness
Considering the other one in being with you
this is how God has mercy, becomes one with us
in wrongs just to you, you bear the pain or debt of justice caused by another’s evil but b/c consider other as you you consider it already paid by your own suffering and don’t need it done back to them
don’t hear what im not saying, other reasons to punish (here is a former prosecutor after all)
in Trinity 3 are one in being
Mercy is to see another’s sufferings, pains, debts, and joys as your own.
Clean
obvious one is to not to serve lust, drunkenness, and gluttony
true, but not a complete idea of this beatitude
to be clean of heart means to be spotless in what you seek
empty of self, motive is only the objective truth, pure goodness,(God) like first. Reward is same (seeing God is the main reward of heaven)
Peacemakers
As St. Anselm says the 7th day is the day of rest, so fitting to mention peace in the 7th beatitude
lack of rest is b/c of disagreement/conflict
this is why work
this is where word peace comes from, same as pact, an agreement
first peace is, as Church fathers say, inner peace, to make all self agree to rule of reason
this of course involves spiritual inner warfare,
warfare then is not necessarily opposed to peace making, and sometimes is necessary for it
as such the Church fathers are at pains to tell us that even physical soldiers can truly be called peacemakers, and sometimes truer so than those who avoid conflict altogether for a fake peace that brings no agreement, no pact, no peace.
since all is ultimately ruled by the truth, conflict always exists so long as evil (that which rejects the truth) exists.
The key to being a peace maker is not to produce more evil in fighting evil.
far too easily do we make the mistake of causing more evil than we end
as a historical example you might compare WWI to WWII.
WWI sought continued conflict thru harsh terms, largely led to wwii
WWII thru marshal plan punished the few and gave amnesty and even aided rather than punished the rest of the countries.
122333now germany and japan are prosperous and were even called allies of the allied powers
might see this as triumph of Christian ideology of peacemaking
Persecuted
This beatitude might as well be called courage for God’s sake
It is victimhood, but
think victimhood as weakness
probably b/c of how talk about it these days,
self-pity, hyper focusing on blaming others
‘victim mentality’
real victimhood for righteousness synonymous with courage
it means to suffer but to remain firm for the right thing under pressure
That is true victimhood, true courage. could have left that cross at any point
it seems horrible to suffer unjust persecution for God, but such is the way to the greatest of rewards
the crossroads between heaven and earth
Conclusion
God flips expectations on their head
As Moses once received the 10 commandments from the Spirit of God
so now Christ on a mountain gives us the spirit of the laws
Though spirit can appear nebulous and the body appear solid the opposite is more true.
Despite being given on a plateau type surface, these are no mere loose platitudes
firm guide for the blessed life.
Have we let this spirit of the law permeate us? Do we guide our life by these beatitudes as much as the 10 commandments? Blessed indeed is the one who does.
Notes
Me
thing in common:
make a physical thing spiritual (beggar, hungering,)
maybe flipping on head meekness and mighty
makarios “happy/fortunate”
poor in spirit
everything! if this only don’t follow God by accident, because not looking to subjective but objective, and its that which is
dikaiosunae: “good judgment”?
mourn: all desire is pain, so desire for God which dont have and end sin
pure of heart= ultimate reward
peacemaker
lack of agreement under 1 principle is conflict
etymology of peace: pax, which is also where pact (‘agreement’)
noise/agitation is not unpeace in itself but a result of it (there is disagreement in something).
thus war is needed to bring peace
the peacemaker decisively aims to end conflict and not to increase it
least force necessary without sacrificing efficiency, etc
e.g. oftne involves mercy Marshal plan vs. post wwi which just continued conflict
one of thte more beautiful post war things that ever happened showing Christian principles at play even if for ulterior motives (Japan and germany became great allies and propsperous nations)
why interior war against sin is peacemaking
why soldiers can rightly be called peacemakers even tho human wars full of human vices and often not clear cut
Commentators
Mountain like Moses, so giving commandments/law
does not consult another (b/c He is God)
Spirit of the law given, not specific physical acts but principle behind them
in some sense then more important to keep in mind than 10 commandments even though both true
intent vs act, soul vs body, cant exclude one or the other, but chief importance is soul
Aug: cheif good only motive of philosophy thus Christ starts w/ ‘Blessed are..”
Poor in spirit
not prideful, puffed (augustine)
etymology literally: dependents on others
Mourn
Fathers: applies only to mourning for sins
temporal, as mourn for loss of temporal things soon comforted as develop love for true things.
Meek
etymology not self-imp, humble, not quarelsome
Such are thought to lose everything, so Christ gives the opposite reading
Hunger Righteousness
to be hungry is to lack that thing but seek it out.
those who do not engage in unethical thought to start, etc so opposite given here
Merciful
just spoke of justice
justice w/ mercy merciless, mercy w/o justice is unjust
mercy: COUNTS OTHER’s SUFFERING AS OWN [just like Christ, fulfills second command]
this is a way to say God is merciful in Himself in seeing mercy not as ‘forgiveness ‘[which requires evil just like punishment] but ‘seeing other as one in being’
Pure of heart
motives must be right
6th place b/c 6th day man made in image of God- Anselm
good living w/ humans not enough (perfect religion is care of poor AND not to be defiled by world)
Sight of God is thru heart and mind, not bodily senses of touch and sight.
e.g. perfect clear thought + satisfaction
peacemakers
peace first and foremost must be interior
subjecting all to rule of reason so work harmoniously under 1 principle
never will be full this side of grave, but at least much much better
Placed in 7th b/c like 7th day, day of rest
Persecuted
etymology ‘pursued’ ‘persecuted’
victims/persecution
think victimhood as weakness
because of it is misused these days to gain power over others
victimhood for righteousness synonymous with courage
true courage is to suffer but remain firm for the right thing
rashness is victimhood for something wrong
a criminal is not a good victim/persecuted because they clean to their evil under pressure
8th kingdom mentioned again b/c shows perfection
when destroy reputation, etc falsely