Monday of the 10th week in Ordinary Time

Monday June 8, 2009 of the 10th week in Ordinary Time

Readings: 2Corinthians 1: 1-7 Psalm 34: Matthew 5: 1-12
Response: “Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.”

Paul has unusual insights not often associated with the lives of the Apostles. He is probably in Ephesus, a sister city in Turkey writing to this center of Commerce. He had heard of the false teachers infiltrating the Corinthian Church and writes because he cannot be there to dispute them and encourage them to remain true to the only God.
With Timothy, his adopted son in Spirit, he urges them to remember the fact of his own and his associates suffering for the intention of the faith.
Paul reminds them of the great gift they have received acknowledging the suffering they were going through and it was as he, himself had suffered in imitation of Christ. It is an additional gift from God to strengthen them as they continue the journey to perfection. Because of their Faith and suffering they will be rewarded when their salvation is confirmed through their suffering.

Almost as an addition to his plea, the Psalmist presents the attitude we all should take when faced with the temptation to dissent to the true teachings of the Church. All our actions should be pointed to the attainment of our goal; eternal life with Him.

When Jesus saw the crowd coming to Him for guidance, He got right to the point. The beatitudes, the blessings He poured out upon them were meant to sustain their new faith in Him. He wasn’t extolling new commandments but reiterating them in a different, more down-to earth fashion.
Like His predecessor, Moses, He spoke from the mountain to the people. Thereby, He recalls their travail in the desert when they were escapees from the Egyptians and were fought against by the people who lived in the land the Lord had given them.
Once again the people were in the captive mood forced on them by outsiders into the kind of poverty they had suffered before. Christ wanted them to know He commiserated with them in their poverty, meekness and deprivation. By invoking God’s blessing upon them He showed the depth of His love and His compassion for their state in life.
When we’re confronted with seemingly hopeless situations, we can look back to the days of Christ’s beatitudes and be in the place of this new people of God, also knowing He is always ready to be at our call when we’re being provoked.