Ready for the eighth Beatitude? Ready to be a nuisance? Let’s read:
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”
90. 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” (Matthew 16:25).
Keep in mind the logic involved here. All people who move against the flow are nuisances. But not all nuisances are those persecuted for righteousness’ sake. Pope Francis cautions against the easy life, for that may well be a sign of an unwillingness to challenge the status quo.
You can check the full document Gaudete et Exsultate on the Vatican website.
Catholic Sensibility 