THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH                                                                                                                          

St. Norbert, bishop 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊ 

1 Kings 17:1-6

  Now Elijah, the pro­phet from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As Yahweh, the God of Israel whom I serve lives, neither dew shall drop nor rain fall except at my command.”

Then the word of Yahweh came to Elijah,   “Leave this place and go eastward. Hide yourself by the brook Che­rith, east of the Jordan.   You shall drink from the brook and, for your food, I have commanded the ravens to feed you there.”   So Elijah obeyed the word of Yahweh and went to live by the brook Cherith, east of the Jordan.   There the ravens brought him bread in the morning and meat in the evening; and he drank from the brook.

 

Ps 121:1bc-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊ 

Matthew 5:1-12

 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. He sat down and his disciples gathered around him.   Then he spoke and began to teach them:

 Fortunate are those who are poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 Fortunate are those who mourn, they shall be comforted.

 Fortunate are the gentle, they shall pos­sess the land.

 Fortunate are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied.

 Fortunate are the merciful, for they shall find mercy.

 Fortunate are those with a pure heart, for they shall see God.

Fortunate are those who work for peace, they shall be called children of God.

 Fortunate are those who are persecuted for the cause of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 

 Fortunate are you, when people insult you and persecute you and speak all kinds of evil against you because you are my followers.   Be glad and joyful, for a great reward is kept for you in God. This is how this people persecuted the prophets who lived before you.

 

Gospel Reflection：

Being Poor in Spirit

What exactly is this poverty in Spirit? We shall listen to a part of the 87^th sermon of Meister Eckhart:

“As long as you have the will to do the will of God, and longing for eternity and God, you are not poor: you want something for yourself; for a poor man is one who wills nothing and desires nothing…. For a man to possess this poverty he must live so that he is unaware that he does not live for himself, or for truth, or for God…. That man should let God work as He will, and himself stand idle… Of this poverty we declare that it is the highest poverty…. He is a poor man who does not know of the working of God within him. He who stands as free of knowledge and understanding as God stands of all things, has the purest poverty.”

Tough act! How do we realize this poverty then? The truth is, we don’t. God does.