The gospels of Matthew and Luke both have similar sermons referred to as the Beatitudes or The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew) or the Sermon on the Plain (Luke). While there are subtle differences between the two accounts, they are, in general, very similar. The purpose is to address suffering in this life, and to help us to persevere until the life to come. The most obvious difference between the two accounts, in my opinion, is that Matthew tends to "spiritualize" the passage, while Luke sees the human condition amongst the hearers as more concrete. For example, Matthew says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit," while Luke says, "Blessed are you who are poor." Many biblical scholars believe that Matthew's account was written for a wealthier audience which would not relate as well to the concept of a sermon that blesses the poor and that looks down upon the rich. Luke's gospel, on the other hand, may have been written for more the working class, as well as women, widows, and those with disabilities. While I tend to prefer Luke's way of remembering the words of Jesus, I feel they are both equally strong passages of Scripture which offer a message of hope to those who suffer in this lifetime.
This coming Sunday is Halloween, or All Hallow's Eve, a day commemorating the end of summer. This holiday is the day before the Christian festival of All Saints' Day, a time to commemorate those who have died in the Faith. According to Roman Catholic tradition, All Saints' Day celebrates the Beatic Vision of those who have died. The Beatic Vision is the direct seeing of God, where we no longer rely on faith, but we see God face to face. Beatic vision--sounds similar in root to beatitudes. That seems fitting to me. Beatitude means to have a sense of blessing. Beatic vision means to see God face to face. What greater blessing is there then that? The end of our Christian lives brings us into the presence of God!
Notice that I said the end of our Christian lives brings us into the presence of God. I did not say that the purpose of our Christian lives brings us into the presence of God. Meeting God is the end of the journey, not the purpose of it. Too many times people lose sight of this; they believe they practice and live their faiths in order to come into God's presence. When that happens, we miss the joy of the journey; we miss the real reason for living our faith. We are called to live our faiths in order to bring about the Kingdom of God here on earth, as it is in heaven. If our focus is only on what happens when we die, we miss the opportunity to help people see the presence of God in our everyday lives. We miss the opportunity to minister, to share faith, to help others grow in God's grace. Our Christian lives should be about living to create a legacy, in order to help people grow. The legacy is not one of us, per se, but is the legacy of guiding others to the beatic vision. That is what it is to be brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. We offer aid to those who suffer in whatever means we are able to, but more important, we offer hope about what comes at the end of the suffering of the world. We don't cause people to fear death, nor to come to death too hastily; yet we teach people to realize with joy that their is a beatitude, or blessing at death, which is a new birth and the opportunity to stand in the presence of God.
This All Saints' Day, let us not remember those who have attained the beatic vision with sorrow. Instead, let us look with joy at how they have written the legacy of Jesus Christ on our hearts and the hearts of others. Let us celebrate the many who have come to know Jesus Christ or come to know Jesus Christ more fully through the way they lived their lives. Then let us follow their examples in the way we live our lives, that we, too, may write his legacy on the hearts of others. Let our goal be to help others find Jesus Christ in this life; for when we do, we will be able attain the beatic vision not just for us, but for those whose lives we allow God to touch. Then we can truly say, "Thanks be to God!"
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