Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/445772
THE BEATITUDE MEDITATION SERIES To be "merciful" is to do merciful GHHGV DQG WR H[WHQG IRUJLYHQHVV St. Augustine noted that as soon DVZHWU\WRPDNHSURJUHVVWRZDUG ULJKWHRXVQHVV ZH DUH FRQIURQWHG ZLWKRXUZHDNQHVVLQGRLQJJRRG :H IHHO WKH QHHG IRU *RGģV KHOS ,Q$XJXVWLQHģVYLHZ-HVXVLVKHUH VXJJHVWLQJWKDWZHH[SUHVVRXUGHVLUH IRU*RGģVKHOSE\JLYLQJZKDWKHOSZH FDQWRRXUQHLJKERUV/HWXVDLGRXU QHLJKERUV DV JHQHURXVO\ DV ZH ZDQW *RGWRDLGXV$XJXVWLQHUHFRPPHQGV OHWXVIRUJLYHWKHPDVIUHHO\DVZHZDQW *RGWRIRUJLYHXV The Beatitude Series will present one beatitude per quarter with commentary which is an excerpt from Matthew 5-7: How to Be Happy by Kevin Perrotta (Loyola Press 2002). Reprinted with permission of Loyola Press. To order copies of this book, call 1-800-621-1008 or visit www.loyolabooks.org. Blessed are the merciful, for they will recieve Mercy. :KHQ)U)UHGVKDUHGKLVUHņHFWLRQZLWK%RDUGPHPEHUV during the December Board meeting, he alluded to the FDQGOHVRIDQDGYHQWZUHDWKDQGUHPLQGHGXVWKDWWKHOLJKW generated by the burning of a candle is only there for a short time. Its purpose is to give a glimpse of something yet to come. Father emphasized that the burning of the candle LVZKDWLVQHFHVVDU\WRJHQHUDWHOLJKW)URPWKHUHKHGUHZ DFRQQHFWLRQZLWKYXOQHUDELOLW\DQGUHPLQGHGXVWKDW1&6) LVEDVHGRQVHUYLFHWRWKHZLGRZVDQGRUSKDQV)DWKHU)UHG WROGXVWKDWWKHZLGRZVDQGRUSKDQVDUHDPHWDSKRUIRU vulnerability. %RDUGPHPEHUVZLOOQHHGWREHYXOQHUDEOHWRHDFKRWKHU DQGWRDOOWKHSRVVLELOLWLHVRIHDFKRQHģVLGHDVRXU1&6) PHPEHUVDUHYXOQHUDEOHZLWKXVZKHQWKH\DUHWKLQNLQJ DERXWWKHLURZQPRUWDOLW\RUDUHFRSLQJZLWKWKHORVVRID IDPLO\PHPEHU7KLVSXWVXVLQDUHODWLRQVKLSZLWKWKRVH ZKRPZHVHUYHDQGZKHQZHHQWHULQWRUHODWLRQVKLSLW LQYROYHVFKDQJH$VWKLVQHZERDUGVWULYHVWRVHUYHWKH Society and our members, Father encouraged us to have faith, and be patient5HWXUQLQJWRKLVLPDJHU\RIWKH candles, he reminded us that one light illumines, but only temporarily. The light that is generated as it consumes the DGYHQWFDQGOHJLYHVDJOLPSVHRIH[SHFWDWLRQIRUVRPHWKLQJ yet to come. He urged us to give things time and trust each RWKHU([SHFWWKHXQH[SHFWHG%HYXOQHUDEOHWRRQHDQRWKHU DVZHZRUNWKURXJKWKHFKDQJHVZHZLOOHQFRXQWHUGXULQJ WKLVWLPHRIH[SHFWDWLRQDQGJURZWKIRU1&6)EHFDXVH *RGģVJUDFHUDLQVGRZQRQXVWKURXJKRXUYXOQHUDELOLW\ $GYHQWVHHPVOLNHVRORQJDJRQRZWKDWZHDUH SUHSDULQJIRU/HQW%XW)DWKHUģVZRUGVUHPLQGDOORIXVRI DQRSSRUWXQLW\IRUFRQWLQXHGVSLULWXDOJURZWKE\VHWWLQJ aside our pride and instead being humble and vulnerable LQLPLWDWLRQRI-HVXV0DU\DQG-RVHSKJLYLQJXSSULGH IRU/HQWDQGLQVWHDGEHLQJRSHQWRWKHSUHIHUHQFHVRI DQRWKHUSHUVRQĠWKDWģVPXFKEHWWHUWKDQJLYLQJXSGHVVHUWV or coffee! God's grace rains down on us through our vulnerability. SPIRITUAL ADVISOR FR. FRED'S REFLECTION