PEG'S PONDERINGS AND TOBY'S THOUGHTS

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 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

 

I have been thinking a lot about the Beatitudes this week; Jesus’ instructions for how we should live our lives. To all of us, Jesus says “Come! Follow me!” Pope Francis asks us to “have the courage to live by trusting in the Lord and setting out on the path with him. His loving gaze frees us from false riches that promise life but lead to death. Always choose the right path; knowing how to journey through life and not wander aimlessly. Life has a clear goal given us by God and He guides us through his grace.” This is something we all long to do, of course, but when we start to try to understand and follow the Beatitudes many get confused, overwhelmed and if we really look at them, often wonder what certain things mean exactly. 

 

Numerous books, essays and discourses have been written about the Beatitudes that make for wonderful study time with the Lord. Pope Francis explains their meaning in his book, “I Want You to Be Happy”, discussing meekness, mercy, compassion, kindness and peace. “Each and every day we are called upon to bring new light into the world, the light of our eyes, the light of our smile, the light of goodness and uniqueness that each of us alone can bring.” Kindness allows us to share the weight of someone’s worries, problems or fears. There may not be something specific we can actually do, but we are an immense comfort to someone when we show that we care. If we open the door and are willing to follow Christ, Jesus does everything, we only have to open our hearts. 

 

For me, I choose a simpler path when looking to live the Beatitudes. Jesus told us in Matthew 18:3 “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” For adults, we can often wonder how to do this. For one, “do not lose your ability to dream. When we do not dream, that empty space gets filled with complaints, sadness or a sense of hopelessness.” For another, “love without borders or limits. Only then can we think and work like brothers and sisters to all.”  This is the dream of God! And lastly, “find joy in the gifts we receive every day from God – they are everywhere in life and creation”. “Doing so frees us from the bondage of self-centeredness.”*

 

One of my very favorite books in the world, and the best for remembering how to be an innocent child again is, “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupery. If you have never read it, I encourage you to do so, over and over again! Really read it, not the internet version of what others tell you it means, because it is the feelings that it stirs up in you as you read it that are important and what make it meaningful. The Little Prince is a very unique, little fellow that teaches us all, or maybe just makes us remember, through his visit with the author, that what is most important in life are the things you cannot see and just how to know the magic a child believes once again. I have pages of quotes from this book I read when I need a quick shot of inspiration, and I have reread the book many times, and always will. 

 

The Little Prince lives on a tiny planet where he cares for three volcanoes, two dormant and one extinct. He rakes them every day, so that they burn gently and regularly without eruptions. He also cares for a flower with four thorns. The flower teaches him that one can put up with a few caterpillars in order to get to know butterflies. He loves sunsets, and on his planet he has only to move his chair a few feet to see another one.

The Little Prince goes exploring to asteroids and other planets in order to learn some things. He visited with Kings, Alcoholics, Geographers, Businessmen, and assorted creatures; snakes, foxes and other flowers. He finds grown-ups very strange and quite extraordinary. For example, the Businessman claimed to own the stars because he had money and therefore, claimed he could. The Little Prince asked the Businessman what he did for the stars, and the Businessman didn’t do anything for them; he rarely even looked at them. To the businessman the Little Prince said; “I own a flower myself, which I water every day. I own three volcanoes, which I rake out every week. It’s of some use to my volcanoes, and it’s useful to my flower, that I own them.” “But, you’re not useful to the stars.”   

 

When the Little Prince encountered a lamplighter, he found that when the lamplighter lit his lamp, “it was as if he brings one more star to life”….he concluded that was a fine occupation! He also thought that lamplighter was the only one who didn’t seem ridiculous and was the only one he might have made his friend… because, he was the only one who thought of something beside himself. 

 

The Little Prince learned that when one wants to take a rest, one should just go for a walk, and the day will then last as long as one wants it to. In the process, he met up with a fox. The two talked of many things, and eventually, the fox showed the Little Prince that while language was the source of misunderstandings, if he came at the same time every day to visit and show kindness, he could sit a little closer until they became friends. The fox would then recognize his footsteps above all others, and he could look forward to the time when the Little Prince would come as it would be the best part of his day. In this way, the Little Prince saw that he had made a friend, and this fox, was now the only fox in the world.

 

In his wanderings the Little Prince came upon hundreds of roses. He was intrigued, but because of what the fox had taught him, he knew his rose back home was more important than all of them put together, because his rose was the one he’d cared for and nurtured.

 

I could go on forever with stories, quotes and lessons learned from this lovely book, but I hope I’ve been able to relay that “one sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.” “You also become responsible for whatever you have “tamed”.” What the Little Prince taught those he visited is that “the stars are beautiful because of a flower you don’t see.” “Whether it’s a house or the stars or the desert, what makes them beautiful is invisible.” It’s like Christmas; the tree lights, the music, people’s smiles are what make up the “radiance” of Christmas – that is our present!

Too often we are like express trains, we get all excited, run around in circles, but no longer know what we’re looking for. Or we grow hundreds of roses in one garden, but what we are looking for can be found in a single rose, and a little water…it’s the care we give it that makes it and us special. 

 

Think of something or someone that you have loved incredibly deeply with all your heart and soul. Go out at night and look at the stars, and know, that that being that you have loved so much is one of those stars. Now picture them as laughing, and you’ll soon see that all the stars are laughing. The Little Prince will tell you…“And, you’ll be glad you’ve known me. You’ll always be my friend. You’ll feel like laughing with me. And you’ll open your window sometimes just for the fun of it and you’ll laugh when you look up at the sky. It’s the stars, they’ll always make you laugh.” 

 

Think now about how you feel. This is how we live the Beatitudes, by loving like this, by caring for all in our world like this, by making everything and everyone, our flower, our fox, our Little Prince. When you need to remember these lessons read this wonderful book and then you too will have your favorite parts, and passages to inspire you, but if you need a quick reminder, just know…

 

“Nothing in the universe can be the same if somewhere, no one knows where, a sheep we never saw has or has not eaten a rose…” Look up at the sky and ask yourself, “has the sheep eaten the flower or not?” And, feel then how everything changes!**

 

 

 

** to understand about the sheep, you’ll have to read the book! : ) “Quotes are from “The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery”.

 

*Quotes are from “I Want You to Be Happy, finding Peace and Abundance in Everyday Life” by Pope Francis.