The Light at the End of the Tunnel

by: Micah Angela P. Dizon    SR-C

In our world today, people have a twisted sense of what is right. They believe what they want to believe in without guidance from God’s will. I believe the beatitude “Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” is most applicable to our current situation. It means that those who fight for the good and unfailingly uphold God’s commandments may be misunderstood, or sometimes oppressed and discriminated. But in the end, their reward will outweigh all the hardships they have been through. God can see the people who are willing to stand up for what is right, despite the challenges, and that kind of courage deserves eternal life in heaven.
This beatitude opened my eyes to the urgency of not being apathetic. God wants me to take a stand and fight for Him the way he fought for me on the cross no matter what contradictions I might face. This realization is enough for me to straighten my way. Not caring has been a problem of mine. For me to be able to realize my vocation, I have to put this hindrance aside. This beatitude will also help me be a saint because it assures me that in the simple, everyday things that I do, as long as I abide by what is morally upright, I have nothing to fear. The problems that will come my way are temporary, and with God by my side, I know that I am on the right track.
We all feel sadness many times in our life. I experience this every time I feel disappointed, frustrated or stressed. Sometimes I feel like a load has been dropped on me for me to solve on my own. However, the promises contained by the beatitudes are comforting. They let us know that all our sufferings will be alleviated when judgment day comes. After all, it is not in the superficial world that we seek happiness, but in the kingdom of heaven, with God.
The hardest beatitude for me to follow is “Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.”  I think I am one of the many people struggling to eliminate all the negative, resentful feelings they have inside them. In this world full of temptations, this beatitude really is a challenge. Most of my life, I have thought that only a few people can achieve this and I am not one of those people capable of purifying their hearts. However, I have come to realize that everyone can do this. It is difficult but not impossible. We should just think of the sacrifices God has made for us. This will give us the motivation to do what is right and have pure intentions always.
These beatitudes can drastically change our world if only we abide by them. If we allow ourselves to be guided by them, everyone would get along and all the negative feelings will fade away. God will be happy that His children have realized the right way to live. The promises contained in these beatitudes are like a light at the end of the tunnel. The long road of darkness and suffering will eventually end, and we will all discover that all these hardships were not insignificant. They helped us become stronger and made us yearn for God.