Every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me
9 JUNE (Mt 5,1-12a)
The Gospel of Matthew begins with a high keynote speech of Lord Jesus. The program is eternal, immutable, timeless and it lasts until the end of time. However, it is a very special program. Its intelligence does not belong to the human heart. No human being might ever be able to perceive the depths, heights, widths of such a discourse. Not only did Jesus utter his speech, he also showed how it is lived; he left his interpreter that must explain it to us every day for all the time up to the gates of eternity, both of the individual and of all humanity.
What is its constant risk? It is that we want to read and understand the speech of Jesus, starting from our heart. If this speech came from a human heart, like all the books that are on earth – except the prophetic Scriptures of the Old and New Testament – every one might even have the courage to read and interpret it. A human heart is capable of understanding another human heart. Both are made of earth and hard clay. The earth might always know the earth and the clay always speak of the clay. They are of the same nature. Nature of mud the one and the other.
The discourse of Jesus comes from a human heart, however, it is a particular heart. First of all it is not a heart of clay, but a new, very pure, holy, limpid heart, of very pure light. Secondly, in it, there is all of the Father’s heart. Jesus draws from the heart of the Father, and in the truth and fellowship of the Holy Spirit gives us his truth, his life as the only law for our lives. Now if Jesus Christ draws from the heart of the Father and gives us through the communion of the Holy Spirit and his truth, it will be understood that it is not difficult, not impossible; on the contrary, it is unimaginable to think of being able to understand starting from our heart what Jesus proclaims with divine solemnity from the mountain.
All the errors of those who are about, have done it and will be prepared to grapple with this speech arise from the fact that the readers and the countless readers have had, have and will have the presumption of being able to understand and interpret it, starting from the personal heart. Our heart is not qualified not only due to natural incapacity, but especially for inability of sin. Who wants to enter its truth has absolute need of the Holy Spirit. So he should cover himself with utmost humility, prostrate himself before and invoke him to be the one to come and reveal to the heart and mind the truths contained in it, not for a day, but every time one is about to open its pages.
When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you (falsely) because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
But the heart of stone, the heart of sin are always also unable due to natural inability to be able to live the truth that the Spirit reveals from day to day to its heart and mind. For this it is necessary to dive into the grace of Christ Jesus, to dive into the great sea of the Eucharist and let your mind, heart, body, spirit and soul be filled of the whole divine power contained in it. This force must also be drawn day by day, otherwise it is a true chimera only thinking that we can move forward in the truth. Love toward the Holy Spirit is the beginning of true understanding. Love, the fiery passion for the Eucharist is the source of true transformation of the truth into our lives. The Sermon on the Mount, the Holy Spirit and the Eucharist are one thing. Who divides the three realities owns none of them. They always go together. They are a single reality.