Before I forget&

     Blessed are the poor in spirit... 
     Blessed are they who mourn... 
     Blessed are the meek... 
     Blessed are the merciful... the Beatitudes, read in today's Gospel, give us such a sign of the magnitude of God's love for every person.  There is a comforting promise in knowing that at all times, in all of our own lives, we have the blessing of God and the promise of the kingdom of heaven.  We are not asked to be anything but the best we can be.  We can run the risk of being seduced in our lives when we believe that, if we just live a solid, purposeful life, then suffering will pass us by.  The beatitudes tell us that in all our weakness, God is there.  They allow us to know that we will not get through life without suffering and pain, but we will always emerge from the darkness when we see the ultimate blessing.  Blessing, perhaps, only in the fact that we have suffered and we are now more in touch with humanity.
     Blessed are the peacemakers... 
     Blessed are the clean of heart... 
     Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness... there is a sure and certain call made to each of us who hear these words.  It is clearly the call to be present to life, our own and those we encounter on our way.  We honor and commission our Befrienders today.  Answering the call to become Befriender is a gospel response to those in need of presence, prayer, peace of mind, comfort and friendship.  We must continue to hunger and thirst for what is right.  What is our responsibility?  How do we make the world a different place?  A more loving presence?
     Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me& every time we step out in faith to respond to needs unmet and to immerse ourselves in life, we risk& we risk& knowing our efforts may never be noticed, knowing we may not make a difference, knowing our own flaws and limits may be exposed.  Whenever we give ourselves to another, we risk, but more importantly we step out in faith.  We believe in love's power.
     Befrienders are beatitude people.  They walk in faith, and we honor them today.  Many others in the pews today walk faithfully and befriend those in their lives.  We honor you today.  Blessed are you&

Anne Marie Bartlett
Pastoral Minister