Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
(Matt. 5:4)
As you probably know, this sentence comes from the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus
revolutionized our human way of
thinking by calling 'blessed' those who, at first glance, could seem anything but happy:
the poor, the persecuted, the meek, those who dedicate their lives to bringing peace to
others, and so on.
Today he focuses our attention on a statement in which he seems to be affirming something
absurd. He uses the word 'blessed'
to describe people who are suffering, desolate, and in tears. You might well ask how such
an affirmation can possibly be
justified.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
The prophet Isaiah announced that a time would come when everyone who suffers would be
consoled (cf. Is. 61:1-3). The
Messiah came to fulfil these words. Jesus knows that those who suffer are fortunate, or
blessed, because they are more able to
welcome his words and so enter his Kingdom. He knows that, through him, the world's many
afflictions can be transformed into
a life of joy.
When he talks about those who 'mourn', Jesus doesn't mean any particular group of people.
He means anyone who is suffering,
regardless of age, sex, race or nationality, whatever the reason. Perhaps they have
suffered a misfortune, a natural disaster, an
illness, the death of a loved one, or the loss of possessions or reputation. He is also
thinking about those who are disillusioned
and people whose unspoken suffering is hidden deep in their hearts.
He means all these people and, if you are suffering at this time, he includes you as well.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
'They shall be comforted.' Jesus uses the future tense. He's talking about the time when
God himself will reward all those who
have borne their sufferings well. 'He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death
shall be no more, neither shall there
be mourning nor crying nor pain any more.' (Rev. 21:4) We know that all this will come
about when Christ's kingdom is
established, and this certainty fills our hearts with a hope that lessens our sufferings.
But Jesus isn't only trying to help those who are unhappy to accept their lot by promising
a future reward. He is thinking about
the present too. His Kingdom is already here, even though it is not yet in its final form.
The Kingdom is present in Jesus himself.
He suffered and died in the greatest torment, but he conquered death by rising from the
dead.
As Christians we have the Kingdom in our hearts. God lives within us. The Trinity dwells
in our hearts. This beatitude that Jesus
proclaims can already be ours.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
In the Kingdom brought by Jesus you can experience this consolation every day, but of
course there is a condition to be met,
because you have to live as a son or daughter of this Kingdom, and this means obeying its
laws and doing what Jesus asks of
you. Jesus said that we need to accept the sufferings that come to us just as he accepted
his own. He invites you to 'take up'
your cross; he doesn't want you to hate it, to reject it, to push it away, or simply to
drag it along. You must love it! Jesus wants
you to set it squarely on your shoulders. And even more - he wants you to brandish it like
a flaming torch, like a banner.
Then you will experience the miracle of the Kingdom. God will make your cross seem light,
and you will be able to carry it.
You will even be able to smile amidst the tears. You will have a strength that is not
yours, a strength that comes from him. And
you will understand why he says, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
(Matt. 11:30)
The suffering may remain, but we will experience renewed vigor that will help us to bear
the trials of life. We will be able to
help others to overcome their troubles and see their sufferings as Jesus saw and accepted
his: as a means of redemption.
Chiara Lubich
The commentary to the Word of Life is translated in 90 different languages and dialects, and reaches more than 14 million people worldwide, through the press, and radio and TV programs
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