60 What Christian value is expressed by the seventh Beatitude?
The seventh Beatitude is Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God.
In this attitude (one of establishing right relations between all people) the Christian does God's work of reconciliation. Peacemaking (as opposed to troublemaking) is the most practical fruit of love. Christ's 'program' for peacemaking is
(1) first to approach the person who does something wrong and "have it out with him, alone, between your two selves...
(2) If he does not listen, take one or two others along with you...
(3) But if he refuses to listen to the community, treat him like a pagan or a tax collector (outcasts]" (Matthew 18: 15-17).
Christıs gift of peace is the greatest fruit of his Resurrection. He died that we "all may be one." The Christians' greatest task is to find peace among themselves so that godıs give of peace may be offered to the whole world.
The sixth and seventh Beatitudes, concerned with purity and peacemaking, deal with the two instincts most troublesome in society, namely, sexuality and aggression. They are only overcome by the gift of the Holy Spirit who makes us "children of God."
The feats of skilled "skateboarders" are quite spectacular. They can spin around an almost vertical wall; and, as long as their speed is kept up, centrifugal force prevents them from toppling over. The vital secret in retaining balance, of course, lies in keeping up the high speed. Trouble starts when they begin to slow down.
Many people manage to keep their balance in life in a similar way. They keep busy, rushing from one job to the next. And while they keep up their speed they manage to survive. It is only when they slow down that they panic and topple over.
In the whirl of modern life it's not easy to stay still and keep a sense of balance. For this requires the ability to discover in oneself the inner resources to carry on living. We are afraid of ourselves and of what we might discover if we turn our attention to the kind of persons we really are. We seek peace of mind by looking in all directions except one; we are scared to look into our own hearts.
"Blessed are the peacemakers," Jesus tells us. The "peacemaker" who is not at peace with himself is a hypocrite‹ an ineffective hypocrite. This is why the priest must be a man of genuine peace; only such a man can make true peace between Christ and the sinner. And all of us, at one time of another, are called upon to bring peace into the lives of others.
But how do we discover such peace? Is it a matter, simply, of pausing occasionally to examine the quality of our lives? Is it just a question of stopping to take a genuine look into ourselves?
Yes it is! It is as simple as that! For every Christian has been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, the source of peace. After his Resurrection, Christ appeared to his disciples with the words, "Peace be with you." And he breathed on them, saying: "Receive the Holy Spirit." And Christ breathed the same Spirit into our own hearts.
All the time the Spirit is closer to us than we dream; he is within our heart and soul which we search so very seldom. The Holy Spirit is closer to us than we are to ourselves, drawing us deeper into the personal and intimate love of Father, Son, and himself, bringing us peace.
Even the busiest of us can allow the Holy Spirit within us to cry out, "Abba, Father." "Abba" is a Hebrew word that the child uses to address his father in the intimacy of home. It is the word Jesus used to address his heavenly Father in Gethsemane as he approached the climax of his life. It is our perfect prayer, proving that we are children of God.
When we recognize the Spirit of peace who makes us cry out, `'Abba, Father,' we can follow Christ in his work of bringing peace to the world.
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS "Tell me the weight of a snowflake," a coal-mouse asked a wild dove.
"Nothing more than nothing," was the answer.
"In that case I must tell you a marvelous story," the coal-mouse said. " I sat on the branch of a fir, close to its trunk, when it began to snow, not heavily, not in a raging blizzard, no, just like in a dream, without any violence. Since I didn't have anything better to do, I counted the snowflakes settling on the twigs and needles of my branch. Their number was exactly 3,741,952. When the next snowflake dropped onto the branch -nothing more than nothing, as you say - the branch broke off."
Having said that, the coal-mouse flew away.
The dove, since Noah's time an authority on the matter, thought about the story for a while and finally said to herself: "Perhaps there is only one person's voice lacking for peace to come about in the world."
QUIZZES
Read the chapter indicated and match each statement on left column with the best phrase you can find in fthe talphabetical list. Note that the numbering of the Beatitudes in the Catechism may differ from other lists.
__ 1. Peacemakers are called
___2.Peacemaking `
___3. If he refuses to listen to the community
___4. If he refuses to listen to you
___5. Troublesome instincts
___6. Gift of Peace
___7 . Peacemaker is
___8. Source of Peace
___9. First words to apostles on Easter
___10. Abba
a. Treat him like a pagan or tax collector
b. Son
c. Sexuality and aggression
d. Peace be to you`
e. Martyrs
f. Lasciviousness
g. Hope
h. Holy Spirit
i. Greatest fruit of the Resurrection`
j. Father
k. Faith
l. Establishing right relations between all
m. Children of God
n. Charity
o. Bring to trial
p. Bring a witness
q. At peace with himself
VOCABULARY
Murder = the voluntary and unjust killing of a human being.
Abortion = direct abortion is gravely contrary to the moral law.(#2271)
Euthanasia = putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons (#2277)
Scandal = a deed that deliberately leads others to sin. (#2236)
DAILY PRAYER
Fr. Ron 4/03/04