Gifts that Keep on Giving - Gift of Blessing
Matthew 5:1-12
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Generous and Compassionate God, We are reminded today that your blessings do not necessarily follow the logic of the world. The world believes that the rich are blessed, but Jesus reminds us that it is the poor who are blessed… the poor in spirit and the materially poor as well. We pray for a more just world in which all have enough and none are left behind.
Though we fear death and avoid its inevitable arrival, Jesus tells us that those who mourn are blessed. Help us to experience the truth of this mystery. Bring healing and wholeness to those who are sick. Comfort those of us who have lost loved ones.
While people covet power, Jesus blesses the meek. Instruct us, O God, in the ways of humility. Help us to stand in solidarity with the oppressed and marginalized. Show us your presence in the faces of those the world forgets.
Give us a hunger and thirst for righteousness. Fill our hearts with love, overflowing with mercy. Make our hearts pure, and give us a vision of your glory. In a society divided by race, gender, class, ideology, sexual orientation, and so many other labels, remind us that we are created in your image, each of us a beautiful reflection of you, each of us your beloved child. Help us then to end our conflicts and wars, help us to be peacemakers and agents of reconciliation. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.