CNY Beatitudes

Luke 6 : 17, 20 - 26

Blessed are you.....

When I read the gospel for today, in the midst of some cooking for a family lunch (thankful I did, while waiting for something to cook), I was taken aback . The reading - Jesus' teaching on "Beatitudes" seemed to stand as a challenge asking - "how do you actually see blessings or in other words the prosperity (Gong xi fa cai) we wish one another during CNY?". What are the blessings/prosperity Jesus speaks about and what do they mean in our personal context? Sure, most people do not take "poor" (v 20) literally......or that might leave many of us not too blessed.

Jesus' way of blessedness actually requires a transformation of heart and mind, to see life from his kingdom perspective. Fullness may not be always a good thing- for it may be fullness of self, leaving little room for God. Instead, he reminds us that there's a place for hunger, yearning, sorrow, poverty of spirit, as these make us look towards God alone for fulfillment.

As i prayed with the passage, I recalled the news clip I watched yesterday on Haiti. Several survivors of the earthquake were interviewed - they had lost loved ones and all material goods - yet this drove them to declare - "I only depend on God"......in the midst of the poverty, hunger and sorrow (in material terms) there was much space for God. As i recalled their words, i was moved - sometimes those who have so little can teach those who have so much..........what it is to truly depend on God.

As we wish "Gong xi fa cai" what do we mean, what do we hope for? Dare we pray the beatitudes and ask for the grace to embrace them?