A homily on Matthew 5:1–12a :  The Beatitudes (1-2-26)

A simple homily on Matthew 5:1–12 reflecting on true blessedness beyond wealth, comfort, and worldly success.( 1-2-26)

Praise be to Jesus Christ 

 There was a carpenter in a small town, and every evening he returned home with dust on his clothes and tiredness in his body. His house was small, with a low roof and a narrow door, but when he entered, there was warmth. His wife welcomed him with a quiet smile. His children ran to him and held his hands. They ate simple food, laughed easily, and slept without fear. Nothing in that house was expensive, yet everything felt enough.

One day, his child brought a friend from a large house in the town. The boy looked around the small cottage, watched the family talk and laugh, and sat quietly for a long time. On the way home, he asked his father, “How much would it cost to buy a house like that?” The father laughed and said, “Why do you ask? Even my tea money would be enough.” The boy did not smile. After a moment, he said softly, “Even then, I think they are richer than us.” The father was surprised. “Why?” he asked. The boy replied, “What we have is comfort, but what they have is peace, which we lack. That is why they are blessed.”

In the Gospel today, Jesus speaks this same hidden truth using a word that the world often misuses. Again and again, he says, “Blessed” (Matthew 5:3–11). But the people he calls blessed are not those whom society celebrates. He does not say blessed are those who have everything. He says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3), “Blessed are those who mourn” (Matthew 5:4), and “Blessed are the meek” (Matthew 5:5).

Today, many people have large houses, growing bank balances, and every comfort they desire. The world looks at them and calls them blessed. Yet many of them cannot sleep in peace. Their minds remain restless. Their hearts feel empty. We hear more and more of lives that seem successful from outside, yet collapse quietly inside. Even among the wealthy and admired, loneliness grows, anxiety deepens, and the number of suicides increases. These are painful signs that comfort alone does not bless the heart.

Jesus shows us another way of seeing. For him, blessing is not about how much we have, but about how free our heart is before God. The poor in spirit are blessed because they are not trapped by their possessions or their image. Those who mourn are blessed because their hearts are still alive and capable of love. The meek are blessed because they do not chase power at the cost of peace.

This truth runs through the Scriptures. Hannah prayed in silence, misunderstood and burdened, yet God drew close to her heart (1 Samuel 1:13). David was chosen while still hidden, because the Lord looks at the heart, not at appearances (1 Samuel 16:7).

Jesus himself lived this blessing fully. He owned little, was misunderstood, and suffered deeply. Yet he lived in complete trust of the Father, and his heart rested in peace. Saint Francis of Assisi discovered that when he let go of the hunger for more, he found joy that nothing could take away. The Beatitudes invite us today to stop chasing extra pleasures that promise happiness but steal peace. They invite us to be grateful for what we have, to rest in God, and to seek blessing where it truly lies.  To be blessed in the eyes of God is far more precious than being called blessed by the world, because only God’s blessing allows the heart to rest.

Lord Jesus, free our hearts from false desires and teach us to rest in your blessing.

⇒If you find this reflection meaningful and fruitful, please share it with others

⇒ We would greatly appreciate your comments and suggestions. Would you mind scrolling down and sharing them with us?

The Team Search offers retreats, reflections, and classes for religious and others on various biblical themes, the Eucharist, prayer, spiritual direction, Missiology, English phonetics (basic & advanced), Mariology, the Sacraments, the Desert Fathers, and more. We are happy to assist you if you find it hard to get a resource person for any Christian topic.

God Bless…