Living Now

St. Walburga Blogspot ^ | June 8, 2009 | Mother Maria-Michael Newe, OSB.

[GonzoII]

A reflection on the Gospel reading for June 8, 2009, (Mt. 5:1-12) by Mother Maria-Michael Newe, OSB.

When I read the Gospel of the Beatitudes earlier this week, what was rather striking to me was that it didn’t say: "blessed are those who were poor in spirit, blessed are those who had mourned, or blessed are those who were meek." No it says, “blessed are those who are...” That little active verb ‘are’. It’s the present moment that they’re doing it. They aren’t looking at the past and saying, “O gosh I was that way.” Nor are they looking in the future and saying, “Well maybe I could be that way.” No, they’re taking the present moment and being that way.

I think that this can show us that we are to live virtuously the present moment. That helps everybody. Sometimes it’s the past that holds us fast and we can’t break out of it. Why? Because we keep staring at it. It’s like we live with review mirrors on us. Or else we let patterns inhibit us. But when we can just see the present moment then we’re living in the face of God who is there present—that I AM.

If we look in the future-- well who can say anything about the future? We can’t say what’s going to be in the future. Often the future will cause fear. That’s why God tells us that if we worry about the present moment He will take care of the future. So if we can just live the present moment fully, I believe we’ll be persons of peace.

[GonzoII]

"That little active verb ‘are’. It’s the present moment that they’re doing it."

And they're being blessed in the present moment too.

[GOP Poet]

Thanks for the post and the insight :-D.

[GonzoII]

You’re welcome.