2 Cor 1:1-7 / Matthew 5:1-12
What we have just heard in the gospel are the "Beatitudes". Some may mistakenly call it the "8 spiritual attitudes in order to be happy".
But whether it is a an attitude towards life or a way to be happy, Beatitudes means blessing, so it means "Blessed are the poor ... , Blessed are the gentle ..., "
So what Jesus taught us are the 8 ways to receive God's blessings, if it can be casually said that way.
But as we think about it, living out the Christian faith is certainly not easy at all. Because what the world would think of as bad luck or misfortune, we have to see it the other way and believe that it is a blessing from God.
The world would be quite astonished at what St. Paul said in the 1st reading: Indeed, as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so through Christ, does our consolation overflow. When we are made to suffer, it is for your consolation and salvation.
The challenging question would be: How can suffering bring about consolation and even salvation.
But Jesus not only taught us how, He also showed us how when He suffered on the cross.
He who created everything became poor for us, and it is He who made peace by the blood of His cross, in order to save us.
Jesus taught the truth with His life, so that we can look at misfortune and suffering and with faith see it as a blessing and the God of all consolation will comfort us in our sorrow.
Let us reflect deeper on the Beatitudes, and Jesus will turn our suffering into a blessing and our sorrow to joy.