Monday of the Tenth Week in Ordinary Time, June 8, 2026

Gospel

Matthew 5:1-12

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,

and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.

He began to teach them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they who mourn,

for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

for they will inherit the land.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,

for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart,

for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,

for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you

and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.

Rejoice and be glad,

for your reward will be great in heaven.

Thus they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Reflection

What stood out to me in this Gospel is how different Jesus’ definition of being blessed is from the world’s definition. When I read through the Beatitudes, I always found it interesting, and even a little ironic, that many of them begin with some form of suffering, or hardship. The poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who are persecuted...these are not the people the world would typically deem successful and fortunate, but pitiful and weak. Yet, Jesus calls them blessed.

Today it is normal to view suffering, loss, and persecution as negative things to be avoided. However, Jesus challenges this belief and shows how God will transform it into something good. Mourning is met with comfort. Hunger and thirst for righteousness are satisfied. The meek and persecuted rewarded. This made me reflect on how often I judge situations, specifically difficult ones, according to worldly standards. The Beatitudes remind me that God is at work even in suffering.