Blessed Are Those Who Hunger

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Today we meditate on the 4th Beatitude: Blessed are they who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

Righteousness may have a negative connotation if you think of someone who is self-righteous.  

What does righteousness truly mean?

·       To be Righteous means to do the will of God

·       Righteousness is to live a life of virtue  that results in  lasting Happiness.

Therefore, when Jesus says Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, He means those who hunger to do the will of God. They have a burning desire for transforming union with God.

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At the Last Supper Peter said to Jesus, “Lord I am ready to go to prison and to die for you.”

That was no boast, it was the desire of a man who loved Jesus. Yes, Peter was weak, and he fell many times – but it was his desire and the Mercy of Jesus that carried him to the finish line. That is why this beatitude – to hunger must go with the next – the Merciful – those full of Mercy.

St. Thomas Aquinas was asked what it took to become a saint. He said, “To will it.” To desire it. Do you hunger for God to transform your life? In this decade ask Jesus and Mary to give you the desire to become a saint.

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To become righteous, that is, to do the will of God we must persevere and not give up.

In John 15:1-10, Jesus said: I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser…As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, but must remain part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is like a branch that has been thrown away - he withers; these branches are collected and thrown on the fire, and they are burnt. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask what you will and you shall get it. It is to the glory of my Father that you should bear much fruit, and then you will be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my own joy may be in you and your joy be complete.

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In that previous passage, ten times Jesus tells us to remain.

Pope Benedict says that the word remain in the original Greek text means to Persevere. We must Persevere in:

·       Daily meditation and a Resolution

·       Persevere in the practice of virtue

·       Persevere in your marriage

·       Persevere in the duties of your life

·       Persevere in trust during suffering

·       And when you fall, just persevere in going back to the Mercy of Jesus – its unconditional and unlimited!

·       Persevere! Keep going! Don’t Quit!

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However, it does not take long before we realize we are powerless to change ourselves.

We will never be transformed until we admit we are powerless over  vices, powerless over our Pride, envy, anger, sloth, greed, gluttony, lust. We are powerless over our boredom, Fear, anxiety, and the worry that drive us to escape from our lives

If we want to become truly free and happy we must admit that we are powerless to save ourselves and that our lives have become unmanageable. 

But there is Someone greater than us. Someone who can restore us to sanity. Someone who can set us free and transform us. He is Jesus and He is the Mercy of God. And only Jesus can do in us what we cannot do on our own.

So, I invite you to resolve to turn your life over to Jesus. Beg Him to take control of your life. He is the Good Shepherd.