What do the Beatitudes mean for today's world?
In a recent episode of "The Catholic Talk Show," Ryan Scheel, Ryan DellaCrosse, and Father Rich Pagano dive into the Beatitudes from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount.
"Meekness is not a weakness; it's a strength,” Father Pagano explains.
Sharing the wisdom of Pope Francis, he elaborates: "Meekness entails tenaciously holding on to one's trust in relationship with God and actively guarding his gifts."
In a world that can distort virtue, see meekness not as feebleness, but instead as recognizing the true source of one's strength: God.
In the digital age, our perceptions are often skewed by desensitization from the media.
"The news can desensitize you to the individual value of every individual life," Scheel says.
Resisting this numbness means authentically mourning, not just for personal losses, but for strangers too, showcasing the true spirit of Christ. Mourning actually "is a natural response to something that points us to heaven,” Dellacrosse says.
In fact, mourning—a deeply personal sentiment—is often brushed aside or drowned in the cacophony of our fast-paced digital world. The Beatitudes invite believers to deeper introspection: "How many people are just like, 'Hey I'm mourning,' or 'I'm hungry, I thirst for righteousness.' These are things that occur in the human soul," he elaborates.
Turning to the sixth Beatitude, the guys emphasize the values of purity and modesty in our social media-dominated age.
"They're seeing nudity when they could be seeing God," Scheel passionately shares, urging everyone to see and value the entirety of a person.
"The heart of the Beatitudes is making sense of the suffering of this world and that there is meaning to it."
These aren't just words; they are promises.
"Yours is the kingdom of heaven. That's a bold claim for somebody who's poor in spirit," Scheel reminds.
Watch the episode below to dive deeper into the Beatitudes' invaluable role in guiding believers through life's challenges: