Daily Gospel Reflection for June 6, 2016

Today's Gospel: Matthew 5, 1-12

When I signed up to participate in this Gospel Reflection series, I never would have imagined getting assigned The Beatitudes.

As you probably know, I'm no Scripture scholar (I'm Catholic, after all!)

I'm not going to be able to break The Beatitudes down to help give you a deeper understanding of the context, the multi-layered meaning behind the words of Christ, or anything like that.

What I can say, is that these words of Jesus have given me a great sense of peace throughout my life, especially in the midst of turmoil.

We have all been through difficult times; times when we felt poor, times when we mourned, times when it was hard to remain pure of heart, times when it was hard to work on building peace with others, times when we were persecuted, and even times when we were reviled by others.

And despite how difficult all of those experiences were, Jesus tells us that they were actually blessings. Being able to live this difficult life, day by day, and to make it through all the difficult and painful experiences we have, is exactly what prepares us for the Kingdom.

It isn't the happy and comfortable times that make us who we are. It isn't the joyful and loving experiences that bring us together as a married couple. It isn't the easy and fun loving events that bond us as a family.

In reality, it is in choosing love, joy, and hope amidst our sufferings, our trials, and our difficulties that we are more perfectly bonded to each other. And it is in choosing love, joy, and hope amidst all of this that more perfectly bonds us to Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ponder:

What am I going to do today to show Jesus that I rejoice and am glad for His presence in my life?

Pray:

Jesus, in the midst of all the suffering that comes my way, help me to see the blessing of having an opportunity to choose love.

Copyright 2016 Tommy Tighe

This 30-something husband and father of three is a Cradle Catholic brought from the cafeteria to the full banquet thanks to the teaching found in Humanae Vitae! The Sacrament of Marriage is all about getting one's spouse to Heaven, and Tommy's wife has her work cut out for her!! Follow him on Twitter @theghissilent