Spiritual Thoughts for the week

April 2nd

Lenten Beatitudes

These beautiful thoughts were taken from the writings of St. Ephrem the Syrian, a deacon and hermit, who wrote hundreds of hymns in honor of the Trinity, Incarnation and the Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Ephrem died in the year 373.

Blessed is the one who has the fear of God in him, for the Holy Spirit calls him blessed, saying: blessed is the one who fears the Lord.
Blessed is the one who has the love of God in her, for she bears God in herself. God is love, and she who abides in love abides in God.
Blessed is he who has attained endurance, for a long-suffering man is great in understanding.
Blessed is she who is a stranger to anger & irritability, for anger does not beget a person of God's truth.
Blessed is he who has loved meekness, according to the Lord's word: blessed are the meek.
Blessed is she who has attained true obedience, for such a person imitates the Lord our Savior, who was obedient even unto death.
Blessed is he who is a stranger to envy and rivalry, for it was by envy that death came into the world.
Blessed is she who does not defile her tongue with slander, for the heart of a slanderer is full of all manner of defilement.
Blessed is he who has attained abstinence, for this one virtue is a buttress for all the rest.
Blessed is she who is charitable to the poor, for she will find many to defend her at the judgment.
Blessed is he who leads an exalted life yet maintains a humble persuasion: he imitates Christ and with him he shall sit in glory.
Blessed is she who forces herself to perform all manner of good deeds, for the forceful shall capture the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed is he who walks the straight path, for he will enter heaven bearing a crown.
Blessed are all these, for they shall stand boldly before the Judge and receive a holy reward from his hands. Amen.
(from Magnificat missal)