If we are honest with ourselves, we will recognize that no matter how successful we are in life, there is always a part of us that remains doubtful about whether we are truly accepted by others. When we stand before Jesus in prayer, there is always a part of us that might be hesitant to make ourselves vulnerable, yet it is at the moments that we are willing to open our hearts that we truly are able to realize the extent of God's love.
If we were sitting on the hillside when Jesus was speaking the words of the beatitudes, I wonder whether we might have reacted with surprise. Blessed are you who are poor ... hungry ... weeping ... when other people hate you and denounce you (Lk 6:20-22) - what? How can someone who is poor, hungry, crying ... be blessed?
In truth, when we recognize our own poverty, our own hunger, our own discomfort with the way life is playing out, our own hunger for justice ... this allows us to understand the pain and struggles that others have to face. Our blessedness comes from the fact that we are able to identify with those who are suffering, those who feel that they are far from loveable ... and out of our own sense of vulnerability, God shows us that we are able to remind others that He is always close to us, always loving us and asking us to love others in return.
Have a great day.
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