8 Jun 2026
Are You Blessed?
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When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Scripture passage from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
General editor:
09 June 2026 @ 12:21 am
Thank you for your practical interpretation of what it means to be blessed.
09 June 2026 @ 2:40 am
Excellent homily. I deeply valued how we come to be meek, mournful, or spiritually hungry. Very well done. Thank you.
10 June 2026 @ 8:33 am
Thanks, Randel. I’ve really been thinking about what we mean when we talk about being blessed.
10 June 2026 @ 8:34 am
Thanks, Rita! I think it’s just a bigger picture that I often miss as I focus on the smaller picture.
10 June 2026 @ 9:01 am
Thank you Deborah, I think I had become a little bored with the Beatitudes as we hear them so often especially here in my country at Funerals. You have painted such a creative, bigger picture which is already enabling me to hear more deeply. I do know I am very ‘blessed’ and hopefully that sense and gift of blessing will now be shared more generously with others. Bless you.
11 June 2026 @ 5:16 am
I am definitely blessed. However sometimes I don’t feel so. There are too many to count, but I feel I come in contact with many blessed people. Thanks for your perspective Deb.
12 June 2026 @ 3:12 pm
Yes, and sometimes I lose the blessing that’s underlying the moment of feeling un-blessed (if that makes any sense).
12 June 2026 @ 3:13 pm
Thanks, Judith. The Beatitudes have often felt a little anodyne to me as well–in my case, I needed to look a lot more closely.