reverent amazement revenge deceive
riveted congregation poverty beatitudes
And now let us stop awhile to look at our dear Master and His hearers. The
Twelve are listening with reverent and fixed attention, their eyes riveted
on His blessed face. The people gaze at Him in amazement and delight. They
have been taught to hate their enemies, to seek revenge, to think that
poverty and suffering are the signs of God’s anger, that an abundance of
corn and wine and cattle are the rewards for which a good man must hope.
Their beatitudes would have been, “Blessed are the rich and the
successful, those that laugh and are held in honor by men.” How unlike
these to the blessed ones of Jesus of Nazareth! His way to happiness was
a hard way, but they knew as they looked up into His face that it was the
right way. And they felt that He could not only teach but help them. Had
they known the story of His life as we do they would have seen that He had
first practised all He taught. He was so poor that He had not where to lay
His head. He was meek and humble of heart, the Man of sorrows, the great
Peacemaker.
After the Sermon our Lord comes down from the Mount, conversing familiarly
with His disciples, His simple congregation flocking after Him, trying to
get near Him, all so refreshed by His company and His words. Hear them
talking of Him among themselves, saying, “We never heard the like.”
Oh, if we had seen our Blessed Lord as these happy people saw Him, if we
had followed Him about with the crowd, had sat at His feet as He taught,
and watched Him as He laid His hands on the eyes of the blind and the
sores of the poor lepers--how we should have loved Him!
--MOTHER MARY LOYOLA.