The blessèd who bless the world

Morning: Psalms 148, 149, 150; Job 11: 1-9, 13-20; Revelation 5:1-14

Evening: Psalms 114, 115; Matthew 5:1-12

Jesus begins his famous Sermon on the Mount with a series of what, to the ears of our culture, sound like unlikely blessings ... on those who admit when they are in a fix, those who mourn for someone dear, those who are content with who they are, those who long for God, those who care, those whose inner life is at peace, those who make peace, those who are ready to suffer for the truth. By such people the world is more blessed than by all the bravado and phony displays of strength that fear can muster.