The Gospel for today’s feast is always Matthew’s account of the Beatitudes. At first they seem to favor the meek, the humble, the merciful. But then Jesus ends with some tough ones, aimed at those who are persecuted, insulted, and slandered. While it may sound negative, Jesus is actually giving us encouragement.
Jesus isn’t telling us to make enemies, but not to be afraid if we do. An important part of our faith is the imperative to spread it. Some people do that by sharing their faith during their lunch break. Others teach formation classes to prospective Christians. So there are many ways to spread the faith, and many types of saints who are celebrated today.
Maybe today would be a good day to learn about your favorite saint. What made her special? How did he spread the faith? What persecution did they suffer? Perhaps you could talk about the saints with your children. What saint shares a name with your child? As St. John says in the second reading, we are all God’s children (1 John 3:2). As we get to know our favorite saints, their lives can inspire us to face persecution or ridicule for our faith — or at least the courage to talk about our faith, and maybe change someone else’s life.
Tom Schmidt, Diocesan Publications