by Paige Lim
"Grief may be a thing we all have in common, but it looks different on everyone. It isn't just death we have to grieve. It's life. It's loss. It's change. When we wonder why it has to hurt so bad, the thing we have to try to remember is that it can turn on a dime. That's how you stay alive. When it hurts so much you can't breathe, that's how you survive. By remembering that one day, somehow, impossibly, you won't feel this way. It won't hurt this much. Grief comes in its own time for everyone, in its own way. So the best we can do, the best anyone can do, is try for honesty. The very worst part of grief is that you can't control it. The best we can do is try to let ourselves feel it when it comes and let it go when we can." - Grey's Anatomy
I came across that passage one year ago; today, I came across it again and thought how perfectly this puts the beatitude, "Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted." further into word. It is unfortunate that over the past three years, I have gone through a lot of losses in terms of kinship. I have lost my grandfather, my aunt, my uncle, and my dearest little cousin in what seems to be a span of three years. It's not that I'm being overly pessimistic, but it is true that I have had a lot to grieve on these days. It wasn't just the death of my relatives. Over the years, friendships have come and gone--a lot of which I regret to have lost. I have failed at many things. However, in spite of such overwhelming woe, God still tells us that somewhere along the line, we will be comforted, that things can turn around. This beatitude tells us to hold onto our faith because it is in this grief, in this loss, as the passage mentioned, that we survive. The passage is such an amazing interpretation of the aforementioned beatitude. After all, all our pains and sorrows are part of the life that God has given us and we can't control it. All we can do is let ourselves feel it, let ourselves mourn, because we should trust in the fact that when time comes that we are ready to let go of it, God will give us comfort.
The 8 beatitudes are, as I believe, part of everyone's vocation in life. It doesn't matter what vocation one chooses. These beatitudes were not made to draw a distinction to certain vocations; instead, these were written for a universal purpose, i.e, to live by these as one pursues whatever vocation he or she is inclined to commit to. If the beatitude I have chosen is to be taken into consideration, it may be viewed in such a way that every vocation is not pristine. There will be times of melancholy, time of mourning. It is in "for they shall be comforted" that we find assurance, we find steadfastness and certainty, to pursue our vocation because we know that no matter how much woe is brought upon our vocation, there will always be happiness or comfort in the end. I also believe that to be a saint, one does not zero into only the charity work that one does. It is important to also consider the spiritual strength said person possesses. The faith that is always there is enough for me to be considered a saint in some way, despite how all the weight of the world seems to be resting on that individuals shoulders.
In a nutshell, the eight beatitudes can be characterized into simple acts of forgiveness, benevolence, love, morality, faith and the like. Most often than not, I am a person that doesn't find difficulty in forgiveness. I am never able to hold a grudge against someone or think ill of that person for a protracted amount of time. I believe in the goodness of charity and showing mercy towards the less fortunate in simple forms of outreach programs and charitable donations. It has been part of my role as a friend and daughter to help ameliorate the waging wars between certain parties, may it be my friends, parents, or other family members. In life, I believe that a life of vice is not a life at all. Why should I even put myself through vices that would only harm the gift of life that God has so graciously endowed upon me? When it comes to tempests and woe, I find comfort in prayer. It is in prayer that I am able to find confidence and support in everything I do. It is also in faith that I am able to keep my feet humbly on the ground. In times of a multitude of blessings, I see to it that I try my best to never boast nor create grounds for envy amongst those around me. It is in those ways that I find the realization of the 8 beatitudes.
It is not easy to stand up for what is principled or right. When I'm in the middle of trying to help a friend, but in doing so, I transgress moral principles, I find myself in a very difficult position. This is seen in the beatitude "Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness sake..." because when I sometimes stand firm on what I believe is to be moral, I find myself in a situation of being derided by those who take such matters lightly and have no consideration to the implications of certain transgressions.
Though these beatitudes pose certain challenges in adhering to them, it would certainly make a difference if the world took the time or even cared about them. If these beatitudes were actualized, we would live in a world where graph and corruption ceases to exist, where there is no gap between upper and lower classes, where each individual can have access to equal opportunities, where war between states or individuals would be in bear no winners just truces, and where a church of a community of believers under a God that is all good would be prevalent. With the realization of the 8 beatitudes, God's plan for His church would be so: THAT ALL MAY BE ONE.
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