January 29, 2017
4th Sunday Ordinary Time
Only one minute! The beginning of the Sermon on the Mount takes 60 seconds to proclaim or read – but a life time to unravel. It is the heart of the teaching of Jesus in the Gospel according to St. Matthew. Emeritus Pope Benedict wisely tells us that the meaning of the “beatitudes†cannot be deciphered theoretically but only when the “beatitudes†are lived and exemplified in the life, suffering and mysterious joy of disciples who give themselves over completely to following the Lord.
Jesus promises comfort to the poor, to those who mourn, to those who hunger and thirst for justice, to those who are persecuted for righteousness and those who suffer for him. Jesus challenges his disciples to be meek, to be merciful, to be clean of heart, and to be peacemakers. The preaching of Jesus goes against the logic of this world!
The key to understanding beatitudes is hidden and is revealed in disciples who follow Jesus and enter into friendship with him. We can even say: “fall in love with him.†I find beatitudes are personified in two characters portrayed by the same actor, Andrew Garfield, in the movies: Hacksaw Ridge and Silence.
While growing up in Lynchburg, Virginia Desmond Doss nearly kills his younger brother Hal by hitting him with a brick. He is a Seventh Day Adventist who enlists in the army as a combat medic. Desmond refuses to carry or use a gun. During basic training he is accused and abused as a coward and put on trial for insubordination. Charges against him are dropped. Doss’s unit is assigned to the 77th Infantry Division and sent to the Pacific theatre, to the island of Okinawa. His unit is commanded to climb as escarpment nicked name “Hacksaw Ridge.†When the Japanese counterattack, rather than flee, Desmond enters the battle to save lives. After the war, Doss, a conscientious objector, is awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry Truman for rescuing over 75 of his comrades in arms. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.â€
Andrew Garfield also play the role of Father Sebastiao Rodrigues in the movie “Silence†based on the novel by Shusaku Endu. It depicts Japanese Christians and Portuguese Jesuit Missionaries who face and endure persecution during a time of upheaval and mistrust over Western influence in Japan. The novel and movie delve into the mystery of the deafening silence of God when people struggle and suffer to do his will. “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad for your reward will be great in heaven.â€
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