Gospel Beatitudes and Worldly Stupefaction

“The Beatitudes, the courage of holiness, the audacity of Christianity,” is the theme of the 2023 Pentecost Pilgrimage. It flaps proudly like a banner in the wind on the road from Chartres to Paris.

But we know that this pilgrimage does not begin on Pentecost Saturday, any more than it leaves Chartres. It is now offering to each one of us, wherever we are, a spiritual itinerary towards the Mount of the Beatitudes. And we don't have much more than a semester to get to that peak.

Let's leave worldly stupefaction and futile platitudes, let's go up to the Beatitudes. The Spiritual and Doctrinal Dossier of the 2023 Pentecost Pilgrimage, which is currently being published, is there to guide us in this ascent. The texts it presents for us to meditate upon are steps to help us rise a little more each day.

We can discover the enlightening teachings: “Everyone wants to be happy, but the ways of happiness taught by Jesus were the opposite of the ways taught by the world. … To those who say that one cannot be happy without wealth, Jesus says: 'Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.'”

“To those who say, 'Do not endure this,' He says, 'Blessed are the meek.' To those who say, ‘Laugh, and the world laughs with you,’ He says, ‘Blessed are they that mourn.’ To those who say: ‘Since nature has given you instincts, give them free rein, otherwise you will be frustrated,’ He says: ‘Blessed are the clean of heart,’” (Bishop Fulton Sheen, Summary of the Cross and the Beatitudes).

There is also practical encouragement: “Blessed are those who know how to laugh at themselves: they have not finished being amused. – Blessed are those who know how to distinguish a mountain from a molehill: they will be spared a lot of trouble,” (Fr. Bernard-Marie de Chivré).

And there is also a devouring apostolic zeal: “Do you know what civil society is asking for in this moment of crisis, what the Church is crying out for? – Apostles of love, sowers of flames, both among priests and among lay people. Do not doubt it! If a hundred disbelievers are enough to pervert an entire population, it only takes one true apostle, just one, to save a hundred people from shipwreck,” (Fr. Matéo Crawley).

Sursum corda! Lift up your hearts! Let us lift them up to the Lord!