What Jesus told us about his mission

• For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10)

• I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (Jn. 10:10)

• My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to complete His work (Jn. 4:34)

• In His ministry Jesus moved with a divine programme and purpose. He moved according to the will of God and in obedience to God.

• Jesus had a specific plan that had divine order and harmony – it was not subject to any pressure or external circumstances.

• Jesus had a specific target – He came firstly to the lost sheep of Israel, but made it clear to them that God’s grace of salvation was also for all of humankind.

O Glorious St Matthew, in your Gospel you portray Jesus as the longed-for Messiah who fulfilled the Prophets of the Old Covenant and as the new Lawgiver who founded a Church of the New Covenant. Obtain for us the grace to see Jesus living in His Church and to follow His teachings in our lives on earth so that we may live forever with Him in heaven. Amen.

The Sermon on the MountMatt. Chap.5, 6, & 7

THE BEATITUDES

The Latin word for blessed is beatus, from which we get the word beatitude.

• The beatitudes are eight statements taught by Jesus.

• These statements list practical but also theological attributes of disciples of Jesus – those who have set out to follow Jesus and become his family.

• The Beatitudes are not a set of “rules” but rather a description of a way of life. They are a map of life, helping us on our journey to be with God. They also designate the actual condition of people who follow God's guidelines.

The Beatitudes

• CCC 1716

The Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching. They take up the promises made to the chosen people since Abraham. The Beatitudes fulfill the promises by ordering them no longer merely to the possession of a territory, but to the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Beatitudes• The Catechism says,

“The beatitude we are promised confronts us with decisive moral choices. It invites us to purify our hearts of base instincts and to seek the love of God above all else.

• It teaches us that true happiness is not found in riches or well-being, in human fame or power, or in any human achievement—however beneficial it may be—such as science, technology and art, or indeed in any creature, but in God alone, the source of every good and of all love"

(CCC#1723).

• They are simply stated, but are profound in meaning. They guide. They point. They teach. They show us the values that Christ cares about. These values if followed, can not only bring a believer into a state of peace and happiness, but also right into the Kingdom of God after our journey on this earth is over.

Is it possible to live the Beatitudes?

• “Only in Him, will what we do make sense. In Him we live the beatitudes and through Him we become the beatitudes.”Fr. Simon Yong SJHomily, 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time Yr. A.

Salt of the earth, light of the world Matt. 5:13 - 16

The Ten Commandments (Exodus 20: 1 – 17)

1. I am the Lord your God you shall not have strange gods before me.

2. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.

3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day.

4. Honour your father and your mother.

5. You shall not kill.

6. You shall not commit adultery.

7. You shall not steal.

8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.

9. You shall not covet your neighbour’s wife.

10.You shall not covet your neighbour’s goods.

• The Ten Commandments, given to Moses on Mount Sinai in the Old Testament Book of Exodus, relates a series of "Thou shalt nots," evils one must avoid in daily life on earth.

• In contrast, the message of Jesus was one of humility, charity, and brotherly love. He taught transformation of the inner person. Jesus presents his teachings in a positive sense, virtues in life which will ultimately lead to reward.

“You have heard that it was said…but I say to you”

Matthew 5: 3 - 32

• The Beatitudes 3 - 12• Disciples relationship to the world 13 - 16.• Jesus is the culmination of God’s self-revelation

17 - 20• Disciples must respect life and work for

reconciliation 21 – 26• Disciples must not just avoid adultery, they must

have hearts free of lust. 27 – 30• Disciples must respect the marriage commitment

31 – 32

Matthew 5: 33 - 37• Disciples must respect the truth.• For people of the Kingdom who live in

sincerity and mutual trust with one another, simple statements are enough.

• “Above all my beloved, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “Yes” be yes and your “No” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.” James 5:12

Matthew 5: 38 – 47 Disciples must not return violence for violence.An empowering of his disciples “Why are you so

afraid to love universally? What have you got to lose?”

• “Love for enemies is the key to the solution of the problems of our world. Jesus is not an impractical idealist, he is the practical realist. Our responsibility as Christians is to discover the meaning of this command and seek passionately to live it out.” Dr. Martin Luther King.

• “I have never yet met an enemy whom I did not try to turn into a friend.” Nelson Mandela.

Matthew 5: 43 - 47.• “Do not overcome evil with evil but evil

with good.” Romans 12:21• “See that none of you repays evil for evil,

but always seek to do good to one another and to all.” 1 Thessalonians 5:15.

Matthew 5: 43 - 47Disciples must love as God loves.• Gr. agape: a commitment to value a person, a

love of choice.• Not eros – passionate love• Not philia – platonic love between friends• Agape: This kind of love concerns not feeling but

decisions: faithful commitment to the good of another. This love is from Christ; it is a participation in His love.

• “Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God”. Ephesians 5: 1 - 2

Final Command Chapt. 5

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father

is perfect.

Matt 5:48

The closing line of Chapt. 5

Matt 5:48

Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.

“You must have patience and not think that God our Lord requires what man cannot accomplish. And if one satisfies God, what difference does it make whether he satisfies men? There is no need to wear yourself out, but make a competent and sufficient effort, and leave the rest to Him who can do all He pleases”.

St Ignatius of Loyola.

Matthew 6• Disciples and

almsgiving 1 - 4• Disciples and prayer

5 - 8• “The Lord’s Prayer” 9

- 13• Disciples and fasting

16 - 18• A heart fixed on God

19 – 24• Trust in God 25 – 34

Matthew 7• Disciples are not to sit in judgment on others.

1 – 5“Do not do anything from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.”Phil. 2:3

• Disciples are to be discerning 6• Disciples are to petition God with confidence 7 –

11• The Golden Rule : The Summary of the

Revelation and Spirituality of the Old Testament. 12

• The Two Roads: Disciples must choose 13 - 14• False Prophets 15 – 20

Matthew 7• Test of discipleship – doing the will of God 21 – 23:

“The whole of the sermon has been about what it means to belong to Jesus. Jesus puts the demand that we chose Him in the starkest of terms. If we do not “hunger and thirst for righteousness” like Jesus (5:6), if we do not share Jesus’ passion that the will of God be done “on earth as it is in heaven” (6:10), if we do not “strive first for the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” (6.33), if we do not do the will of Jesus’ Father (7:21), then He, the one who gave his life to save us, will have to say that, in spite of all our words, we never belonged to Him.”Fallon: The Gospel According to St. Matthew.

• Disciples are to hear Jesus’ words and act on them.24 – 29.

John 8:32

“If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Lord Jesus, you said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Keep us from being preoccupied with money and worldly goods, status and power and with trying to increase them at the expense of justice.

Lord Jesus, you said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Let us not be so focused on our own burdens and sorrows that we are unconcerned about the burdens of others.

Lord Jesus, you said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

Help us not to be ruthless with one another, and to eliminate the discord and violence that exists in the world around us.

Lord Jesus, you said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be filled."

Make us thirst for You, the fountain of all holiness, and actively spread Your influence in our lives and in society.

Lord Jesus, you said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."

Grant that we may be quick to forgive and slow to judge and condemn.

Lord Jesus, you said, "Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God."

Free us from our disordered senses and desires, and help us fix our eyes on You.

Lord Jesus, you said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God."

Aid us to make peace in our families, in our country, and in the world.

Lord Jesus, you said, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of justice, for the kingdom of heaven in theirs."

Make us willing to suffer for the sake of right rather than to practice injustice; and do not let us discriminate against our neighbours or support oppression or persecution in any form.

All this we pray in Jesus’ name,

Amen.