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February 2, 2026Our gospel passage this weekend provides us the ‘pinnacle’if you will of Jesus’first recorded sermon: the Sermon on the Mount. Our Beatitudes, the cornerstone of his sermon recorded in chapters five through seven in Matthew’s gospel. As one pastor noted,“at age thirty, Jesus hung up His carpenter’s apron, laid down His hammer, trudged from His hometown, and found a spot on the hillside where He gathered a crowd and began to preach, the greatest sermon.”(For over sixteen centuries biblical scholars have ascertained the site of Jesus’ sermon to have taken place on the Mount of Beatitudes, on a hill overlooking the northwestern shore of the Seas of Galilee, between Capernaum and Gennersaret.)Within these three chapters of Matthew Jesus’ sermon could very well be considered the‘Essence of Christianity’and the‘Lord’s Inaugural Address.’ Alongside the Beatitudes are the Lord’s Prayer, the Golden Rule, the wise man who built his house upon rock, the salt of the earth and light of the world, the Narrow Gate to eternal life; and how to contend with anger, lust, retaliation, anxiety and hypocrisy. Contrary to our desire to blend in with society and prevailing norms, Jesus encourages us as Christians to adhere to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and the will of God our Creator. Rather than‘fitting in’, we stand in with our Christian values.Every Christian is familiar with the Beatitudes, though the depth and meaning of the‘blessings’ are always open to discussion and reflection. On All Saints Day, 2016, Pope Francis proposed a unique interpretation of the Beatitudes.*Blessed are those who remain faithful while enduring evils inflicted on them by others and forgive them from their heart.*Blessed are those who look into the eyes of the abandoned and marginalized and show them their closeness.*Blessed are those who see God in every person and strive to make others also discover Him. *Blessed are those who protect and care for our common home.*Blessed are those who renounce their own comfort in order to help others.*Blessed are those who pray and work for full communion between Christians.Listening closely to Mother Teresa’life and faith, we can recognize how her words embrace the significance of each Beatitude, witnessed in her quotes below:Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “When you have nothing left but God, you have more than enough to start over again.The spiritual poverty of the Western World is much greater than the physical poverty of our people.” Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.“Pain and suffering have come into your life, but remember pain, sorrow, suffering are but the kiss of Jesus – a sign that you have come so close to Him that He can kiss you.”Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Humility is the mother of all virtues; purity, charity and obedience. It is in being humble that our love becomes real, devoted and ardent. If you are humble nothing will touch you, neither praise nor disgrace, because you know what you are.If you are blamed, you will not be discouraged. If they call you a saint, you will not put yourself on a pedestal.”Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “If you judge people, you have no time to love them. I prefer you to make mistakes in kindness than work miracles in unkindness.” Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. “People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway.The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.”Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. “In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.” Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. “Peace begins with a smile.” Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.” Exciting news of RAGRAI 53 coming thru Boone for an overnight stay on Tuesday, July 21st. More thoughts about our involvement in the coming months.
God Bless, Fr. Tim
FYI:“Cold! If the thermometer had been an inch longer, we’d all have frozen to death!