Chapter 3: In the Light of the Master
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus himself warns us that the path he proposes goes against the flow, even making us challenge society by the way we live and, as a result, becoming a nuisance. He reminds us how many people have been and still are, persecuted simply because they struggle for justice, because they take seriously their commitment to God and to others. Unless we wish to sink into an obscure mediocrity, let us not long for an easy life, for “whoever would save his life will lose it.”
In living the Gospel, we cannot expect everything will be easy, for the thirst for power and worldly interests often stands in our way. In such a society, politics, mass communication and economic, cultural and even religious institutions become so entangled as to become an obstacle to authentic human and so- cial development. As a result, the beatitudes are not easy to live out; any attempt to do so will be viewed negatively, regarded with suspicion and met with ridicule. Whatever weariness and pain we may experience in living the commandment of love
and following the way of justice, the cross remains the source of growth and sanctification.