Sunday 1 February 2026
Lectio Divina:*
Meditatio:
“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same
way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.’’ (Matthew 5:12)
Commentary:
Religion often gets a bad name. It is accused of spreading gloom, fear or a spirit of killjoy, and many today contrast religion with spirituality as if they were opposites—religion = bad, spirituality = good. The phrase “I’m not religious but I am spiritual” is now commonplace, sometimes spoken with a hint of self‑protection, as if being “religious” were old‑fashioned, reactionary or faintly embarrassing.
Yet the word religion
comes from the Latin religare – to bind together. At its heart,
religion is about relationship: an I–Thou encounter that binds us to God and to
one another. Spirituality is also about relationship, though often
framed today as a search for inner peace, meaning or blessing. Even Arthur
Schopenhauer, an atheist philosopher, saw self‑transcendence and the
recognition of our connection to all as the key to ethical living.
Into this world of
competing definitions and private quests for happiness, the Gospel of Matthew
offers something surprising: a charter for blessed living. The
Beatitudes are so familiar that they risk becoming decorative—words on stained
glass or a reading assigned to the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. But they are
meant to be heard, and lived, anew.
Listening Again to
the Beatitudes
When Jesus “saw the
crowds” (Mt 5:1), he saw more than faces. He saw the human heart and its
deepest needs. Like Moses, he went up the mountain and taught about the things
of life and the things of God – interwoven, inseparable.
1. Blessed are the
poor in spirit
The poor have a
privileged place in Scripture, but Jesus is not romanticising material
deprivation. Poverty caused by injustice is not a blessing. Rather, those who
loosen their grip on power, wealth and spiritual pride discover a freedom that
opens the way to peace.
2. Blessed are
those who mourn
This includes the
“tears of compunction” that come when we face our sins honestly. But it also
embraces all who suffer through illness, oppression or loss. The promise of
comfort is not an excuse for complacency; it is a call to compassion. We cannot
remove all suffering, but we can recognise it – in ourselves and in others – and
allow that recognition to soften our hearts.
3. Blessed are the
meek
Meekness is not
weakness. The truly gentle can resist injustice without hatred. They inherit
the earth because they stand on moral ground that cannot be taken from them. As
Micah says, they “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.”
4. Blessed are
those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
To yearn for what is
right, whatever the cost, is itself a blessing. Many have been forced to “walk
the plank” for conscience’s sake. Their integrity becomes their nourishment.
5. Blessed are the
merciful
Those who have
received mercy learn to extend it. Compassion deepens into a way of seeing.
6. Blessed are the
pure in heart
Purity here is not
narrow moralism but a single, compassionate gaze that sees God in the
other—especially the vulnerable. What we do to them, we do to Christ.
7. Blessed are the
peacemakers
Peace begins within.
When we make peace with God—our past, our fears, our preoccupations—we become
channels of peace for others. Not all will accept it, but the gift remains.
8. Blessed are
those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake
Persecution is not
confined to the schoolyard. It appears in workplaces, public life and even
families. False accusation and exclusion cause deep wounds. We stand with all
who suffer for their faith, identity, dignity or simple difference. Our
solidarity can become a source of blessing.
A Way of Life for
Every Disciple
The Beatitudes are not
a spiritual elite’s checklist. They are the shape of Christian discipleship for
all: poor in spirit, contrite, gentle, hungry for justice, merciful, pure in
heart, peacemakers, faithful under pressure.
Micah summarises it
simply:
“Do justice, love
kindness, walk humbly with your God.”
A heart formed in
compassion, humility and fairness can change the world—and that change can
ripple outward into the lives of others. This is the quiet revolution of love.
Oratio
Collect
for St Brigid (Church of Ireland)
Father, by the
leadership of your blessed servant Brigid you strengthened the Church in this
land: As we give you thanks for her life of devoted service, inspire us with
new life and light, and give us perseverance to serve you all our days; through
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Footnotes
*
These readings are taken from the Sunday lectionary used in most
Catholic churches. The source is BibleGateway.com:
A searchable online Bible in over 150 versions and 50 languages (using
the New Revised Standard Version - anglicised catholic edition). Psalms in this
Blog are numbered according to the Hebrew (Masoretic) text with the Greek
Septuagint/Vulgate numbering in parenthesis where applicable.
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