From Holy Source:
In this great preaching of Jesus, (M15, 1-12) the word “happy”appears nine times. It’s like a refrain that reminds us of the call of the Lord to walk with him a road which, despite all the challenges, is the way of real happiness.
The pursuit of happiness is common to all people, all times, and all ages. God has placed in the heart of every man, every woman a desire for irrepressible happiness, fullness.
The first chapters of the Book of Genesis present to us the magnificent beatitude at which we are called, and which consists in perfect fellowship with God, with others, with nature, with ourselves. Everything was limpid and clear.
When man and woman give in to temptation and break the relationship of communion with God, sin enters human history. The purity of the origins is polluted.
In the Psalms we find the cry that humanity addresses to God: “Who will see true happiness? On us Lord let your face light up “(Ps 4,7)
The Father, in his infinite goodness responds to us by sending his Son Jesus. This perfect communion with God our Father, Jesus shows us the way. Sitting on the mountain he teaches the Beatitudes.
Blessed are the pure in heart. This beatitude passes through the purity of the heart. In Jewish culture, the heart is the center of the feelings, the thoughts, the intentions of the human person.
the Bible teaches us that God does not look at appearances but at the heart. (Ps 15,16,7) We can also say that it is from our heart that we can see God because the heart sums up the human being in his totality, in his capacity to love and to be loved.
It is the quality of the heart that makes a man, a woman. “From a good heart comes a good word an evil word comes out from an evil heart. ยป
In Salesian doctrine, our hearts are looking for God
Regarding the definition of ‘pure’ “Blessed are the pure in heart” the Greek word used by
the evangelist Matthew basically means clean, limpid, free from anything that can
contaminate. It is an inner purity.
In the Gospel we hear Jesus say to the Pharisees who did not eat without having
done ablution … “Nothing that is external to man and which enters into him can make him
impure. But what comes out of man is what makes man unclean. It’s from inside the
human heart from which perverse thoughts emerge: misconduct, theft, murder, adultery,
fraud, wickedness, envy, pride. “(Ma 7, 15. 21-22)
What is the happiness that springs from a pure heart? we see that the question mainly concerns the
scope of our relations. How do I live my community relationship? What prevents me from loving this or that sister? Each of us must learn to discern what can “pollute” her heart, form an upright and sensitive conscience, to be capable of discerning what is the will of God, what is good, what is perfect.
We know that attention to safeguarding creation is necessary for the purity of air, water, food, how much more must we have regard to the purity of what we hold precious, heart and relationships to breathe the pure air that comes from love
We are all called to holiness. But what is holiness? Is not it love every day? Let’s look at the saints. Let’s look at the last beatified, Carlo Curtis. A young man who died at 15 years old who lived by the Eucharist, who prayed, who visited the sick, served the poor, played sports and evangelized through computers. All this out of love to serve the
God he had met.
We are not Augustine, nor John Paul II, nor Carlo Curtis, nor Marguerite Marie and
yet we are called to holiness. When? always. How? ‘Or’ What ? Good question !
Because of our call to monastic life, we do not have great means but small ones, perhaps more difficult, which are placed at our disposal: means which require physical and spiritual presence, availability, presence of love, continual choice,
a renunciation that no one sees.
I’m in a hallway, I pray
I am tired, I will be fine in my room to rest but I have to do cleaning. ???
In the choir, a sister starts a discussion, it’s not the place, it annoys me. And the criticism? What about backbiting? For each to see what takes away from happiness and a pure heart
Choose a saint! Read his life! he or she has something to tell you,
the saints fought, they suffered, they were like us purified by the blood of Jesus. I say
purified made pure. They are waiting for us, they attract us! They are in the light. Let us be
purified to see God.
Source: Annecy Visitation Mother Marie Therese