Matthew Kelly wrote in his book Rediscovering Catholicism that we are all called to live "authentic lives". This life means that from an almost infinite number of possibilities we chose one that will, with the help of God's grace, result in each of us becoming the best version of ourselves, all each of us was meant to be. (Kelly, p. 58) Living the Beatitudes will bring us to our goal.
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied." (Catechism, List of Beatitudes, p. 26) "We can't achieve holiness by our own efforts." (Word Among Us, p. 58) God, the Holy Spirit is the source of holiness, a spiritual light, and he offers his own light to every mind willing to receive it, to help it in its search for holiness. But, we must have a correctly formed inner mind, a light in tune with the Holy Spirit to be able to perceive the outer light, the physical world, as it really is. Then we can discern the activities and attitudes which lead to holiness and which do not.
"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land." Meekness does not mean being a doormat. It really means working humbly and patiently to place all our trust in God and not giving way before obstacles or opposition, or wrongs. (Word Among Us, p. 59)
"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." Love your neighbor as you love yourself not necessarily because your neighbor is likeable but rather because Jesus first loved us and was born to save us despite and because of our human sins and weaknesses.
"Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Christians who are practicing their faith and in some cases even those who are not, are among the most persecuted of all religious believers, especially in the Middle East and even in Europe and the United States as well. Stand up publicly for the life and dignity of every human person during all stages of their existence and then watch the e-mails, letters, and articles in the newspaper and on T-V. If you are politically incorrect and voice your "incorrect opinions" you will be persecuted as well.
Striving also to be peacemakers we would speak the truth openly and honestly, avoiding personal attack, and respecting the right of others who disagree with us to do so as well. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."
The corporal and spiritual works of mercy such as visiting the sick, and those in prison, sheltering the homeless, feeding the hungry, burying the dead, and praying for the dead are all examples of selfless love, emptying ourselves to be filled by Christ who first loved us. They are some of the ways that help us to become the best version of ourselves, the version God calls us to be.
Bibliography
1.Catechism of the Catholic Church, English Translation for U.S.A., Liguori Publications, Mo. 1994. Beatitudes, Article 2, paragraphs 1716-24, pp. 426-29.
2."The Ten Commandments of Catholic Social Teaching," Our Sunday Visitor, Huntington, Indiana, March 14, 2010, pp. 9-11.
3."St. John Bosco's Way of the Beatitudes," The Word Among Us, Ijamsville, Md., November 2010, pp. 56-60.
4.Kelly, Matthew, Rediscovering Catholicism, Beacon Publishing, Cincinnati, Ohio, 202, p. 58.
Dr. Bernard J.Fleury's lifelong interest in History from the perspective of the people who lived it is evident in A Bee in His Bonnet, Print, E-Book, Audio Book, on website: http://www.greatgeneration.net. His firm belief in the synthesis of faith and reason (theology and science) as two aspects of a single reality-The Light - God, is clearly evident in his book Called into Life by the Light, Print, E-Book, Audio Book, on website: http://www.intolifebylight.com.
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