Today we have the opening words of the Sermon on the Mount. Here in the Beatitudes we have, first of all, a beautiful portrait of Jesus Himself. He reflects all these qualities in Himself. We, too, are called to reflect them fully in our own lives. For they are the picture of a Kingdom person.

Those having these qualities are called 'blessed', a word which can also be translated as 'fortunate'. The qualities mentioned are a mixture of the painful and the enriching. For those in pain, for those who mourn, the Kingdom is a place of support and comfort. On the other hand, the enriching qualities of gentleness, hungering and thirsting for what is right and just, compassion, purity of heart (the ability to see things as they really are) and the making of peace and harmony are qualities which make the Kingdom a beautiful place to be and an inspiration to the rest of the world. Finally, even blessed are those who are persecuted not because persecution is a desirable experience but because it arises out of a deep conviction of Jesus' message of Truth and Love, of Peace and Justice, of Harmony and Freedom.