St James Catholic Church

Dear Parishioners,

It is difficult to imagine a more countercultural way for Jesus to begin the first of his five sermons, the sermon on the Mount, that make up Matthew’s Gospel. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.” At that time, and as far back as Adam and Eve, poverty and misery were regarded as punishment for sin. These were signs that you certainly did not have God’s blessing. To some extent this is still true, though our culture often puts the blame on the people themselves. In any case, no one who is poor in any way is usually considered blessed. But that is what Jesus led with. Not only that, so are those in mourning, those too meek to get their way, victims of injustice, and so on. If God truly is blessing them, why are they still so misfortunate?

Perhaps the answer is that the world does not see how God sees. The world sees the outward signs of a difficult life. God sees someone in need of grace and mercy. The wise person puts their trust in God not trusting the fickle finger of fate which could upend anyone’s life at any time, but leans on God to help them overcome their obstacles. In the end, God has come to save us, in the person of Jesus Christ. Thus, Jesus can tell his disciples that the kingdom of heaven awaits the poor and persecuted of the world. How will I allow myself to be meek, merciful, and poor in spirit, choosing to rely more often on God’s grace?

Love, Peace, Joy,

Fr. Bob