4th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Cycle A (2026)

As we hear the Beatitudes today, it seems odd that the word beatitude is sometimes translated as ‘happy’. They don't seem to fit our definition of happiness. As you might know, the word beatitude comes from the Greek word makarios, meaning fortunate or blessed.

If you were to ask the average person to describe how they would like to be blessed in life, they would likely include things like: 1) to have money and things money can buy; 2) to avoid pain; 3) to be a winner; 4) to have power; 5) to encounter pleasure, especially sexual pleasure; 6) to conquer enemies; and 7) to be affirmed and loved. I'm sure some of these resonate within you.

So, let's compare a few of these ways we wish to be blessed to Jesus’ Beatitudes.

1. To us who would want to be blessed by money, Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit”—those who are detached from money, whether they have a little or a lot. Theirs is a kingdom that money can’t buy, a kingdom far greater than any in this world.^[1]

Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit”, but to be clear, there is a relationship between spiritual poverty and material poverty, because material riches are often a great distraction to the spiritual life. Perhaps it could be said that to be poor in spirit is to be materially poor for the sake of the spirit.^[2]

2. To us who would want the blessing of avoiding pain, Jesus says, “Blessed are they who mourn”— those who suffer pain. I believe we fear pain more than death: physical pain, but even more, emotional pain.

While God allows our pain, He also delivers us from it. He knows we are not yet at the end of the story, where the pain goes away. We see hints of it in the lives of saints who suffered greatly, yet also experienced joy. If they found joy in this life, how much more must it be in heaven?^[3]

3. To us who desire pleasure, Jesus says, “Blessed are the clean of heart”. We naturally desire pleasure, especially sexual pleasure, our biggest “turn-on” and what tends to occupy our consciousness. In pursuit of this, we use other people and even ourselves, as a means to a selfish end. But understand, Jesus blesses love, to give of oneself, not lust, the use of others.

He says the clean of heart “shall see God”. We see and know God, both perfectly in heaven and imperfectly in this life, not with the eyes of our bodies but with the eye of our heart. Self-giving love opens the eye of the heart; selfish lust closes it. Those who love unselfishly gradually come to see and know God, because God is unselfish love, pure love.^[4]

4. To us who desire to conquer our enemies, Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers”. Peace requires the work of making peace in our own lives. It requires a kind of spiritual war against the wars we make, the wars we fight. Jesus says he comes to give us “peace the world cannot give” (Jn 14:27)^[5]. He would have used the Hebrew word “shalom”. Shalom is not merely the avoidance of conflict. It’s a resounding peace that only God provides and which reflects his peace.

5. To us who desire to be affirmed, honored and loved, Jesus says, “Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness…and blessed are you when they insult and persecute you because of me”. We crave love from a world that is fallen and afraid of Christ. The fact is, the world will leave you alone if you are moderately evil or moderately good, but it will persecute you for being either passionately evil or passionately good. Saints and criminals are both killed, but lukewarm conformists are safe. If no one hates and fears you and what you stand for, it’s probably because you are not doing Christ’s work. The closer you get to him, the more splinters you will get from his cross.^[6]

In the Beatitudes, the makarios, the blessedness Jesus desires for us and calls us to lies within the mystery of the cross, where all things, all logic is turned upside-down. Yes, living his Beatitudes will take us to the cross, but the cross will transform whatever is painful, broken, or lost. It is when we believe it, accept it and live it, that we will come to receive and experience his promise, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”

^[1] Ibid.

^[2] Bergsma, John. The Word of the Lord: Reflections on the Sunday Mass Readings for Year A. Emmaus Road Publishing. Kindle Edition.

^[3] Kreeft, Peter. Food for the Soul: Reflections on the Mass Readings (Cycle A) (Food for the Soul Series Book 1). Kindle Edition.

^[4] Ibid.

^[5] Ibid.

^[6] Ibid.