Matthew 5

The Beatitudes

1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2And he began to speak and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Prophets of a Future not Our Own

It helps, now and then, to step back and take the long view.

The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts; it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.

Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the kingdom always lies beyond us.

No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the church’s mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about.

We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water the seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something and to do it well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest. We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.

We are prophets of a future not our own.

*Often attributed to Óscar Romero, these words were actually written by Bishop Ken Untener for a homily prepared for Cardinal John Dearden, in honor of Romero’s martyrdom.

A Litany Before the Table

Citizens of Heaven

Leader:

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

People:

We come with open hands,

receiving what we could never earn.

Leader:

Blessed are those who mourn,

those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

those who make peace.

People:

We bring our sorrow, our longing,

and our willingness to be shaped by your grace.

Leader:

The kingdom of God is near—

present among us, yet beyond our control.

People:

We release our need to finish the work,

and trust you with what remains undone.

Leader:

We are not the builders of the kingdom,

but witnesses to its coming.

People:

We are citizens of heaven,

and prophets of a future not our own.

Leader:

So come to the table—

not because the work is finished,

People:

but because God is still at work.

Amen.