THE FACE of HOLINESS

POOR in SPIRIT - Those who are materially wealthy are known, at time, to be high brow. Those who are poor in spirit are not low brow, but simple in the reception of all God’s gifts. They know from where all things come and what they are for. Their brows do not wrinkle in disappointment, but often in amazement.

THEY WHO MOURN - The eyes do weep the holy water of faith in place of the heart which keeps beating when we lose someone close to us. The eyes which have been filled with the visions of loved persons fill with tears when those visions are taken away. The holy ones weep because there has been love enough to fill the longing‑heart and the heart remains to long for the beyond to which the beloved has returned. The eyes of faith do cry real tears of loss and love.

THE MEEK - The proud are often pictured as having their noses turned up or stuck up. The meek of the Gospel are strong and level‑headed. They have a nose for the truth and can smell fakery and are not afraid of pointing it out. They do not turn down their noses when encountering the poor, marginal, or distasteful. Their strength of simplicity is as plain as the noses on their faces.

HUNGER and THIRST for RIGHTEOUSNESS - The mouth is where we satisfy hunger and thirst for the body. The mouth expresses the hunger and thirst for justice and the holy relationships which Jesus came to establish between all humankind. What Jesus thirsted for on the cross was the reconciliation between God and us. Jesus hungered after His temptations, but He hungered for His holy way of living to be shared with His sisters and brothers. His righteousness is not legal, that is being right by our own actions, but being right with the person God as creator gave this world by our being of God’s love. The mouth takes in and breathes out the holiness of Jesus’ ways.

THE MERCIFUL -  Out of the heart, the tongue speaks. We are invited to have hearts of forgiveness and to speak compassionately when we are offended. Mercy is more than a feeling.  It is a sense that as Jesus spoke the words of forgiveness from the cross over us; our words resemble His from the crosses of our own harshness. Our words tongue the very interiority of the Heart of Jesus.

THE PEACEMAKERS - Jesus spoke of turning the other cheek when slapped. We talk of taking one on the chin.  The face of holiness looks on violence, disputes, and wars, but not passively. Making peace involves getting involved. Violence can beget further violence, but the face of holiness can confront wars and will get slapped as Jesus did and will take a few on the chin as did the early martyrs. Making peace faces others with the insanity of war, separation of brothers and sisters, as well as the sacrilege of annihilation and genocide.

THE PERSECUTED -  What are people saying about us? Our ears hear the insults, the slander, and the lies. Our ears hear also what God says about us in Jesus. We can get an earful from those who oppose the holy re‑creation of this world through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and us, His followers. Sticks and stones may break our bones and names may hurt us. The prayer of the Beatitudes begins with listening and ends with showing the face of Jesus in our showing up each moment.