“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of HeavenThe Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who do not possess adequate resources
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
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…“Blessed are the meek,” (Matthew 5:5) Jesus says in the Beatitudes. “Meekness” is the biblical word for nonviolence. Blessed are the meek, the gentle, the nonviolent—they will inherit the earth. A life of nonviolence leads to oneness with creation and her creatures.
A life of violence, of course, leads to an abrupt discord with creation. In a time of permanent warfare, nuclear weapons, and catastrophic climate change, the message couldn’t be clearer. The God of peace, the nonviolent Jesus, and his Holy Spirit call us to practice nonviolence. In that way, we’ll renounce and stop…
moreHeavenly father
give us grace to be merciful and pure in heart today.7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Imagine living with one purpose: to have a heart centred on the will and love of God, so that this determines all our actions each day.
Being committed to something keeps life expanding for us, even when we think that there’s nowhere else for it to go. Purpose gives us a sense of importance, of wanting to do even more, even…
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Blessed are the pure of heart; for they shall see God. —Matthew 5:8Cynthia Bourgeault explains how understanding the ancient meaning of the word passion can help us gain emotional equilibrium:
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The tradition from about the 4th century on has been unanimous with what gets in the way of becoming pure of heart. I will quote directly from the Philokalia: “The problem with the passions is that they divide the heart.” The passions are the culprit that sucks the heart out of its capacity to see with equanimity and clarity, with luminosity and radiance, and makes…Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.https://www.thefuelcast.com/library/2025-04-2-the-bible-and-violence-pa…
Heavenly father
give us grace to be peacemakers today, whatever the cost.9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.11 “Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven…
moreBlessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called children of God.
You don’t have to have anything to get started, really: just a will, which I believe is already within you, and a way. Do the work your way, with the intention of expanding the circle of human concern and creating radical belonging for others.…
Get to work. Build. Bridge. Belong. This call for belonging is not about saving ourselves as individuals in terms of the resources that we have or the access we have been granted. Belonging is about saving our very humanity.
If you are not…
moreBlessed are the peacemakers: They shall be recognized as children of God.
—Matthew 5:9Richard Rohr considers what it means to be a peacemaker:
This verse in Matthew’s Gospel is the only time the word peacemakers is ever used in the whole Bible. Peacemakers literally are the “ones who reconcile quarrels.” We can clearly see Jesus is not on the side of the violent but on the side of the nonviolent. Jesus is saying there must be a connection, a clear consistency, a constant unity between means and ends. There is no way to peace other than…
moreYou are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. People do not light a lamp and put it under a bushel basket; rather, they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:13–16).
Brian McLaren …
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Daily Bible Verses
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