The Gospel for the Mass today (January 29) is the Beatitudes, the first verses of the magnificent Sermon on the
Mount in the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 5-6-7. The Beatitudes are among the most well-known and most recognized passages from the Bible. Biblically, the setting of the Sermon on the Mount parallels Jesus giving a new teaching to the Jewish people as Moses was given the initial teaching of the Commandments on Mount Sinai. Jesus Christ is the new lawgiver, he is the new teacher, he is the source of the new wisdom since he is himself the Son of the living God. The Sermon on the Mount is a superb statement of the core teachings, the values and attitudes Jesus teaches those who
follow him and want to be in right relationship with him and the heavenly Father.

The Beatitudes that we read in Matthew 5:1-12 number eight. My two favorites are ‘blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God’ and ‘blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.’ These two beatitudes
reflect the importance of sincerity, humility, harmony and kindness in our personal relationships as well as in our
relationship with Jesus, the Lord, Savior and Teacher.

Of the Beatitudes, all biblical scholars say that the first one is the most basic and the foundational beatitude: ‘Blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ To properly understand this beatitude, we need to appreciate
the meaning of the words, ‘poor in spirit.’ The easiest way I have come to explain this phrase is to say that whoever
knows that he depends on God for everything and trusts in the good will and in the providence of the almighty will
indeed be blessed and happy. Being materially poor and lacking the necessities of life does not explain the first
beatitude. To be poor in spirit in the biblical sense enables a person to be radically honest admitting that all blessings
come from the Lord and actually we depend on the goodness of the Lord for every moment of life and for every breath
of life that we enjoy. A person can be materially blessed and live the foundational beatitude by acknowledging a faithful
dependence on the Lord and having an attitude of detachment from material possessions. Our true happiness and our
lasting fulfillment is in the heart, in the soul and in the spirit. Our deeper needs are spiritual. Our true Christian vocation
is to believe in the Lord, to know that all gifts and blessings come from him, to live in this world according to the
example of the Lord Jesus and his teachings, especially the Beatitudes, and to trust daily in his grace, in his providence
and in his presence.

During this week, I encourage you to read, to pray and to meditate on the Beatitudes as your biblical homework.
Take time to discuss the Beatitudes with your family and your loved ones and how the attitude of the Beatitudes can be
a blessing for your family and to help make your home a place of faith, of peace, of mercy, of service and of unity. The
wisdom and the guidance of the Beatitudes touch every dimension of our lives. As we come to know the Beatitudes,
may we live them more and more faithfully.

During the coming few days, the children of our parish will be making their First Confessions. As an example, the
parents of the children will go to Confession first and then their children will follow them. The healing mercy of the
Lord Jesus is one of the most significant blessings for the good of our families and for the Church as the People of God.
The children who make their First Confession in the coming days will continue to prepare for their First Communion on
Sunday, April 30, and Sunday, May 7. For me as a believer in the Lord Jesus, as a Priest and as a Pastor, the days of
First Communion are among the best days of the entire year. Please pray for the children, their parents, their families
and for their teachers. May Jesus bless, forgive and nurture our children, their families, their teachers and our parish
community.

My prayers, love, best wishes and gratitude to you and to your loved ones for who you are and for all you do for the
Lord and for the good of St. Elizabeth Seton Church Parish. May we seek to be in harmony with the words of the first
reading for today’s Mass: “a people humble and lowly, who shall take refuge in the name of the Lord. They shall do no
wrong and speak no lies; nor shall there be found in their mouths, a deceitful tongue.” (Zephaniah 3:12-13)
SHALOM!
Fr. Gary

Homework for the week of January 29 – February 4

Mathew 5:1-12