Msgr. John N. Fell

Our annual journey toward Easter has begun. The great season of Lent is upon us, for Lent is, above all else, an opportunity to prepare for Easter. For those who seek Baptism, Lent is a final period of intense preparation for full, sacramental participation in the life of Christ. For those already baptized, Lent is an especially graced opportunity to renew our seeking after the Lord, to once again unite ourselves with Christ’s suffering and self-giving so that we might also share in his glorious victory over sin and death.

This Sunday we are treated to one of the most beautiful and beloved passages in St. Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus’ presentation of the Beatitudes. Understanding the Beatitudes is crucial for understanding the rest of Jesus’ mission for they express the definitive ethics of the Christian community, and are, in a certain sense, the constitution of the Kingdom of God. The Beatitudes refine the moral absolutes of the Ten Commandments by setting believers on the road to perfection; our task as followers of Christ is not simply to avoid evil, but always to be striving to do (ever better) good.