Blessed are those who mourn because they will be consoled; because they will hear the Angel announcing that “He is not here; He is resurrected!” The light of resurrection clears away all darkness and the eternal Day of God dawns. This eternal day of God rises in the light of the Beatitudes of our Lord Jesus, and brings complete consolation to all good-willed people who wish to participate in actualizing the kingdom of the Father governed by the logic of the Beatitudes.
One must be poor, expecting all sustenance from the Heavenly Father, in order to be able to enter this kingdom through the death of Christ. One must be meek to reap the benefits of the miraculous abundance of earth and heaven. Only those who hunger and thirst for justice will be filled with righteousness. Those who have mercy, will find mercy in return. The pure of heart will see God. Those who carry the pure and clear ray of divine light in their hearts will be able to recognize and enjoy divine goodness.
Our Lord cried out in a loud voice on his cross saying “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23.46) and satisfied the zealous demand of the Father’s divine love with an equally generous and divine offering. It is in this generous sacrifice of Jesus that the consolation of every Christian comes to life.
Aware of the need to stay in the death of his Lord, every Christian must remember the death of his Lord. Following the advice of Saint Paul, the Christian must recount the death of Christ (1 Corinthians 11.26), must keep alive the knowledge of the Lord. St. Gregory of Nazianzus remarks that only those who recognize and know the source and principle of their power are capable of rejoicing and savoring the harmonious symphony which the marvels of the universe bring to life in our spiritual senses.
Our consolation has its roots in the will of the Heavenly Father and receives from Him its nourishment and subsistence. Indeed, the Father took possession of his kingdom, and curtailed human ignorance and incomprehension by opening the way of conversion abundant in life and truth in His Son. The Father set a definitive Day of judgment, when He will establish forever the salvation in justice for each and every human being. He will thus bring to completion the good news of His promise of salvation to all the universe (Romans 8.22-25).
Our Father secured and ratified the establishment of this Day of Judgement by resurrecting Jesus from the dead (Acts 17.31). Our Lord Jesus taught us to pray for the accomplishment of this universal and creative will, so that the Father’s name may be glorified (John 12.28) and we may become children of light; walk in the light kindled with the sacrament of our Baptism (John 12.36). Jesus uses the image of light to describe the commandment of love he gave us (John 13.34 and 14.21–24), and adhering to and executing this commandment is the sign of a Christian more so than a cross.
Only by loving each other will we receive the Spirit of truth of the Father and of Jesus, the true comforter, the pledge bringing to existence the divine Promise, because it is only through keeping this commandment of love that we are grafted onto the true vine to bring abundant fruits and glorify the Father (John 15.1–8).
