Did you know

That each of us are “blessed”? When we think of “blessed”, we are usually talking about something good, something great, something that other people would want. Yet in looking at the people Jesus labels as blessed, they seem to be the exact opposite of what the world tells us we should be aspiring for – the poor in spirit (those who have nothing in this life but their faith in God); those who mourn (not just those who have experienced death, but those who struggle with sin in their lives and “mourn” over the fact that they struggle with that), and the meek (those who seem powerless, insignificant to the world). Jesus is not giving us a pep-talk, but rather he is trying to change our perspective about what it means to be “blessed”. Jesus invites us to recognize that Blessed are you when even in the midst of all that is going on in your life, all the trials and tribulations you suffer and endure. Blessed are you when you realize God hasn’t abandoned you. Blessed are you when you realize this isn’t some divine punishment. Blessed are you when you see God is there with you in the midst of it all. Blessed are you when you endure with that
confidence of faith, knowing the love of God sustains you. All too often the world thinks that when we win the lottery, THEN we will be “blessed.” Our faith, and the fact that Jesus died for us reveals how blessed we truly are.