Tag Archives: Beatitudes

• μακάριοι οἱ πενθοῦντες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρακληθήσονται.
• Blessed are the mourning, for they will be comforted.

Mourning, eh?

• “Is it nothing to you, all you who pass this way? Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow which was severely dealt out to me, which the Lord has inflicted on me on the day of His fierce anger.”

Meanwhile, in that fierce maternal love giving rise to such grief: Behold this Treasure of Love and Truth, who makes all things new, look at how much He has loved you. The deep currents of blessedness in unshakable faith are strongest at such times, and gush forth in fulfillment with great joy upon the Resurrection. He has indeed made all things new in His love, in His Truth.

© 2023 Fr George David Byers

• Matthew 5:3 — Μακάριοι οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, ὅτι αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν
• Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens.

A couple of passages come to mind:

• Regarding Jesus: “But He emptied Himself taking the form of a slave, being in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:7).
• Regarding Mary: “But as for you, a sword will pierce right through your soul” (Luke 2:35).

Saint Paul says that we are to be tabernacles of the Holy Spirit. Tabernacles, of themselves, have nothing of themselves, and are inappropriate if filled with anything but that which they are meant to contain. Tabernacles must be void of themselves so that they might contain the treasure for which they were created.

© 2023 Fr George David Byers