Fr. Ryan Lerner, Chaplain
Jesus begins his Sermon on the Plain (Luke 6:17, 20-26) with a series of blessings and woes, declaring: “Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours.” Hearing the Gospel that many scholars suggest was written for those on the margins, those who are poor, hungry, weeping, or persecuted may find comfort and hope to learn that they are not only promised a place in Heaven, but that they are living, even now, the blessed life. On the other hand, those of us who are privileged and comfortable may find it hard to relate to the Luke’s beatitudes, and feel justifiably unsettled by the woes, which hit a little closer to home.
As someone who is undeniably part of the latter group, I find myself asking what it looks and feels like to live the blessed life as Jesus presents it. Recently I encountered an individual who clearly knew that he was “blessed,” despite his challenging circumstances. The first time I saw him I was on an early morning run, and he was curled up in a sleeping bag near the entrance to I-95 on MLK Boulevard. The next time was on a bitter cold Wednesday afternoon, while I was greeting guests at the door of the STM Soup Kitchen. There he was again; disheveled and underdressed for the wintery conditions. (I was grateful that we had plenty of socks, gloves, and hats available to give away that day.) Later, as he left the soup kitchen, he turned to me, flashed a radiant smile, and said: “Every week I come here with a joyful heart – and then when I leave – I feel even more joyful – you know why? I’m walking in the Lord. I’m walking in the Lord.”
Although the blessings and the woes we each face may challenge or unsettle us, Jesus lovingly calls us out and wakes us up, for He wants us to experience the blessed life, not only on the other side of that very thin veil in Heaven, but here and now, today, in this life. This can be especially challenging if our happiness hinges on worldly things, such as material success, esteem from others, or feeling better than whomever we are competing against or comparing ourselves to at the moment. Living the blessed life can be challenging if we are focused solely on ourselves and our own comfort. How can we feel “blessed” when we are feeling spread thin, overburdened, and overwhelmed with stress? (As I write this, I know that many are feeling the midterm crunch!) But as the Gospel reminds us again and again, the only true riches, the only true fulfillment, the only true joy—comes from trusting in divine providence, living in gratitude, and joyfully “walking in the Lord.”
