PARADOXICAL
The faith chroniclesSunday, June 09, 2013
The true meaning of "Blessed are the meek"
The beatitudes in today’s Gospel passage contain a word, a description of Christian living, that is very misunderstood in our modern language: meek. "Blessed are the meek" does not mean "Blessed are the pushovers" or "Blessed are the victims of abuse who don't protect themselves" or "Blessed are the quiet ones who don't speak up against injustices."
In the dictionary, the word "meek" is defined as "showing patience, humility, and gentleness." But we tend to understand it more often by its other definition: "easily imposed upon; submissive due to being deficient in spirit and courage."
Jesus modeled meekness for us. So did his Blessed Mother. Think about it: How could they deal with the tough circumstances of their lives if being meek means being deficient in spirit and courage? In fact, holy meekness requires a very strong personality. It's a bold strength that enables us to refuse to be impatient, prideful, or pushy. Rather than being a pushover, a meek Christian is one who will not push over someone else.
To be meek like Jesus means standing up firmly for the truth without insisting on being believed. It means holding fast to the truth without casting pearls before swine by forcing it upon those who refuse to listen. It means letting your desires be known without demanding your own way.
Christian meekness is confidence – but gently rather than arrogant or forceful or abusive. It's calm assertiveness. It's an unassuming but noticeable presence that does not draw attention to one's own self for the sake of being the center of attention but instead points to Jesus.
Holy meekness means setting healthy boundaries for your life and, with the strength of God, asserting these boundaries so that others cannot overstep them unless you choose to allow it for a greater good.
It means freely and lovingly, with good discernment, choosing when to make sacrifices, which you share with Jesus on his cross.
It means being a peacemaker in the midst of a battle, even as a troublemaker drawing attention to the battle so that a solution can be found.
In the kingdom of God, a meek person is anything but a wimp! Only with true meekness can we "inherit the land", i.e., receive as God's children everything that belongs to his kingdom. No one who's deficient in spirit and courage can obtain that.
The key to understanding how to be meek is to remember the word "love." To be meek is to be strong in whatever ways strength is needed – but always with love. We have the spirit and courage to love even during life's toughest trials.
© 2013 by Terry A. Modica
Archives
01/01/2004 - 02/01/2004 02/01/2004 - 03/01/2004 03/01/2004 - 04/01/2004 04/01/2004 - 05/01/2004 05/01/2004 - 06/01/2004 06/01/2004 - 07/01/2004 07/01/2004 - 08/01/2004 08/01/2004 - 09/01/2004 09/01/2004 - 10/01/2004 10/01/2004 - 11/01/2004 11/01/2004 - 12/01/2004 12/01/2004 - 01/01/2005 01/01/2005 - 02/01/2005 02/01/2005 - 03/01/2005 03/01/2005 - 04/01/2005 04/01/2005 - 05/01/2005 05/01/2005 - 06/01/2005 06/01/2005 - 07/01/2005 07/01/2005 - 08/01/2005 08/01/2005 - 09/01/2005 09/01/2005 - 10/01/2005 10/01/2005 - 11/01/2005 11/01/2005 - 12/01/2005 12/01/2005 - 01/01/2006 02/01/2006 - 03/01/2006 03/01/2006 - 04/01/2006 04/01/2006 - 05/01/2006 05/01/2006 - 06/01/2006 06/01/2006 - 07/01/2006 07/01/2006 - 08/01/2006 08/01/2006 - 09/01/2006 09/01/2006 - 10/01/2006 10/01/2006 - 11/01/2006 11/01/2006 - 12/01/2006 12/01/2006 - 01/01/2007 01/01/2007 - 02/01/2007 02/01/2007 - 03/01/2007 03/01/2007 - 04/01/2007 04/01/2007 - 05/01/2007 05/01/2007 - 06/01/2007 06/01/2007 - 07/01/2007 07/01/2007 - 08/01/2007 08/01/2007 - 09/01/2007 09/01/2007 - 10/01/2007 10/01/2007 - 11/01/2007 11/01/2007 - 12/01/2007 12/01/2007 - 01/01/2008 01/01/2008 - 02/01/2008 02/01/2008 - 03/01/2008 03/01/2008 - 04/01/2008 04/01/2008 - 05/01/2008 05/01/2008 - 06/01/2008 06/01/2008 - 07/01/2008 07/01/2008 - 08/01/2008 08/01/2008 - 09/01/2008 09/01/2008 - 10/01/2008 10/01/2008 - 11/01/2008 11/01/2008 - 12/01/2008 12/01/2008 - 01/01/2009 01/01/2009 - 02/01/2009 04/01/2009 - 05/01/2009 05/01/2009 - 06/01/2009 06/01/2009 - 07/01/2009 07/01/2009 - 08/01/2009 08/01/2009 - 09/01/2009 09/01/2009 - 10/01/2009 10/01/2009 - 11/01/2009 11/01/2009 - 12/01/2009 01/01/2010 - 02/01/2010 02/01/2010 - 03/01/2010 03/01/2010 - 04/01/2010 04/01/2010 - 05/01/2010 05/01/2010 - 06/01/2010 06/01/2010 - 07/01/2010 07/01/2010 - 08/01/2010 08/01/2010 - 09/01/2010 09/01/2010 - 10/01/2010 11/01/2010 - 12/01/2010 01/01/2011 - 02/01/2011 02/01/2011 - 03/01/2011 03/01/2011 - 04/01/2011 04/01/2011 - 05/01/2011 05/01/2011 - 06/01/2011 06/01/2011 - 07/01/2011 07/01/2011 - 08/01/2011 08/01/2011 - 09/01/2011 09/01/2011 - 10/01/2011 10/01/2011 - 11/01/2011 11/01/2011 - 12/01/2011 12/01/2011 - 01/01/2012 02/01/2012 - 03/01/2012 03/01/2012 - 04/01/2012 04/01/2012 - 05/01/2012 05/01/2012 - 06/01/2012 06/01/2012 - 07/01/2012 07/01/2012 - 08/01/2012 08/01/2012 - 09/01/2012 09/01/2012 - 10/01/2012 10/01/2012 - 11/01/2012 11/01/2012 - 12/01/2012 12/01/2012 - 01/01/2013 01/01/2013 - 02/01/2013 02/01/2013 - 03/01/2013 03/01/2013 - 04/01/2013 04/01/2013 - 05/01/2013 05/01/2013 - 06/01/2013 06/01/2013 - 07/01/2013 07/01/2013 - 08/01/2013 08/01/2013 - 09/01/2013 09/01/2013 - 10/01/2013 10/01/2013 - 11/01/2013 11/01/2013 - 12/01/2013 12/01/2013 - 01/01/2014 01/01/2014 - 02/01/2014 02/01/2014 - 03/01/2014 03/01/2014 - 04/01/2014 04/01/2014 - 05/01/2014 05/01/2014 - 06/01/2014 06/01/2014 - 07/01/2014 07/01/2014 - 08/01/2014 10/01/2014 - 11/01/2014 11/01/2014 - 12/01/2014 01/01/2015 - 02/01/2015 03/01/2015 - 04/01/2015 04/01/2015 - 05/01/2015 05/01/2016 - 06/01/2016 07/01/2016 - 08/01/2016 08/01/2016 - 09/01/2016 02/01/2018 - 03/01/2018 03/01/2018 - 04/01/2018 07/01/2018 - 08/01/2018 04/01/2019 - 05/01/2019 05/01/2019 - 06/01/2019 09/01/2019 - 10/01/2019 02/01/2020 - 03/01/2020 04/01/2020 - 05/01/2020 05/01/2020 - 06/01/2020 06/01/2020 - 07/01/2020 07/01/2020 - 08/01/2020 08/01/2020 - 09/01/2020 09/01/2020 - 10/01/2020 01/01/2021 - 02/01/2021 10/01/2021 - 11/01/2021 11/01/2021 - 12/01/2021 12/01/2021 - 01/01/2022 05/01/2022 - 06/01/2022 06/01/2022 - 07/01/2022 08/01/2022 - 09/01/2022 10/01/2022 - 11/01/2022 02/01/2023 - 03/01/2023 08/01/2023 - 09/01/2023 10/01/2023 - 11/01/2023 12/01/2023 - 01/01/2024 01/01/2024 - 02/01/2024 02/01/2024 - 03/01/2024 05/01/2024 - 06/01/2024 07/01/2024 - 08/01/2024 08/01/2024 - 09/01/2024 09/01/2024 - 10/01/2024 10/01/2024 - 11/01/2024 11/01/2024 - 12/01/2024
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]