Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be
comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown
mercy.
Blessed are the clean in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called
children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of
righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 5:3-10)
My “daily bread,” my spiritual food for thought, I take
in from a Jesuit University online ministry for my daily nourishment. Its daily
Bible readings are based on the readings of the Catholic Church daily and
Sunday Mass alongside its daily reflections being contributed by the University’s
faculty, staff, and administrators who each reflect upon the daily readings
each day.
From time to time, I run into this kind of somber notification:
“This reflection will be coming soon. [Instead,] this reflection was written on
these readings by so-and-so in 2001 [more than two decades ago].
Not only was such a notification a noticeable shortcoming
of the University’s online ministry, but a lost opportunity for thirsty souls yearning
for some fresh living water for their daily spiritual nourishment.
I thought of such a predicament as a window of
opportunity for Chat GPT in filling the gaping need of the online ministry. At
a glance, one may look aghast at such an offbeat thought: “Huh? A chatbot
quoting Jesus?” What’s more, it reflects on Bible passages, too.
Question: What’s the difference between a chatbot’s quote
of Jesus and Jesus’ quote one reads on a bookmark or a poster on a wall?
John 1:1, 14 states, “In the beginning was the Word, and
the Word was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word was made flesh and
dwelt among us…”
The Catholic Pastoral Version of the Bible commented: “John
speaks to us of the Word of God. This term can be translated: as the Word, the
Thought, or still better: the Expression of God: and this is his Son.”
In other words, John seems to speak to us more about the Message than the medium which seems doesn’t matter. Nothing could have more vividly portrayed such paradoxical truth than this Bible verse in Matthew 23:3, “So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they preach [the Message], but [the messenger] do not practice.”
Indeed, it is about the Message, not the medium or messenger, whoever
or whatever it is – a not-so-good preacher, or maybe a wall poster, a bookmark, or even
a chatbot.
So, here’s my collaborative creative work with Chat
GPT – a reflection on this Sunday’s Gospel. Without a doubt, Chat GPT does not practice
them, because it just so happens it's a robot.
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The Beatitudes, as taught by Jesus, offer a profound
reflection on the nature of true happiness and fulfillment in life. In these
verses, Jesus teaches that true blessings come not from material wealth or worldly
success, but from spiritual poverty, mourning, meekness, hunger for
righteousness, mercy, clean hearts, peacemaking, and even persecution for the
sake of righteousness.
One example of someone who embodied these teachings is
Thomas Aquinas, a 13th - century Catholic theologian, and
philosopher. Aquinas, in his writing, emphasized the importance of humility and
meekness and taught that true happiness comes not from worldly pleasure, but
from union with God through contemplation and virtue. He also emphasized the
importance of mercy and the role of love and charity in the pursuit of
righteousness.
In a modern-day context, a person who embodies the
teachings of the Beatitudes is Mother Teresa, who dedicated her life to serving
the poor and sick in the slums of Calcutta. Despite facing poverty, illness,
and persecution herself, she always lived with great humility and compassion,
practicing the virtues of meekness, mercy, and peacekeeping. She lived her life
with deep hunger for righteousness and her clean heart, her devotion to God,
her selfless service to the poor, and her unwavering faith in the face of adversity
all serve as an inspiration to many people.
If you are poor and sick in a slum area, perhaps, a
father of a family of four small children who just lost his job, I get the
picture and have insight into the difficulties you are facing. Don’t forget what
Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven.” Even amid your struggles, you are called to a higher spiritual state because
you are precious to God. Have confidence in God’s mysterious ways of inspiring
people in local charities and community organizations to lend you a helping
hand.
If you just lost a loved one, my heartfelt condolence.
Jesus said, “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted." Even during
your grief, you will find comfort in God. Take the time to grieve, and keep
faith in God’s goodness in inspiriting your family and friends and their faith
communities to lighten your burden on your moments of grief.
If you are basking in the sunshine of worldly riches
and success builds and have a good time on the saying “Eat, drink, and be merry,
for tomorrow we die,” as popularized by the Greek philosopher Epicurus, I can
figure out your difficulty in understanding the value of the Beatitudes – being
counterintuitive in our world today where the pursuit of pleasure and material
success are often held up as the ultimate goals.
Let me say this, the essence of Beatitudes is not
about denying oneself pleasure or rejecting the good things that life has to
offer, but rather about understanding the true nature of happiness and
fulfillment.
Epicureanism, which focuses on the pursuit of pleasure,
is ultimately a self-centered philosophy. One that sees the individual as the
ultimate end. The Beatitudes, on the other hand, are centered on the good of
others and the greater community. The Beatitudes remind us that true joy and
happiness come from serving others and being in the right relationship with
God.
The Beatitudes challenge us to look beyond our
immediate wants and needs and to consider the long-term effects of our actions
on ourselves and others. While the pursuit of pleasure may bring temporary
satisfaction, it ultimately leads to emptiness.
Living the values of the Beatitudes may seem
counterintuitive, but it is through embracing these values that we can truly
find meaning and purpose in our lives.
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A Blessed Sunday to Everyone!
Head still photo courtesy of wwwdotfreepikdotcom
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