To live this beatitude in all its depth and implications, I would say that it is necessary:
To have God as ‘God in our lives’ without allowing anything to take priority over Him, and to do this with the intensity of a deep and creative experience.
To move on in life with a readiness to say yes to whatever God asks, convinced that He wants only what is the best for us.
To long with passion to see God’s will done in everything, as we pray with enthusiasm: “Your will be done on earth as in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
To do God’s will even when we have the impression that the fruits of our efforts are not visible.
To continue nourishing the desire to act in order to make this world a better home for everybody, with deeper solidarity and brotherhood.
There are tragedies that afflict many people today. These are caused by moralities which ignore the spirit of this beatitude and even go against it. I cite the do it yourself morality that defines good and right as whatever is convenient to an individual person, or group. The common good is never a consideration and objective truth is bent to suit utilitarian interests and convenience.
Negative Attitudes
People who live with this morality are moved by the negative attitudes of selfishness and isolation: “What is mine is mine, and woe to anyone who touches it.” The Gospel of Luke has a parable which strongly depicts this attitude: Luke 12:16-21. In it we see a man who became very rich because his land produced abundantly. But he was selfishly convinced that his riches were going to give him lasting security. Because of this, there was no room for God or for others in his life, and while he thought he was going to live a long life relaxing, eating and drinking, God called him a fool and told him: “This very night your life is being demanded of you” (Luke 12:20). We ask God, as we commit ourselves to Him, that we may never have attitudes similar to those of this rich man, as they would lead to our destruction and the destruction of many.
The Word of God places us in a different context. It gives us the wisdom to “read” correctly the various realities of life, to invigorate the spirit, to move forward with joyful trust and to adopt the proclamation of the Beatitude we are considering now.
Our principle of life then is that of generosity and sharing: “What is mine is also yours and I will share all that I have.” This principle enables us to hunger and thirst for what is right, giving God what He asks of us and giving others what fraternal love requires. This is well described in the second part of the parable of the Good Samaritan. (Luke 10:33-35)
Good Neighbor
The Good Samaritan understood what was right for him to do, and acted as a good neighbor to the man who had fallen into the brigands’ hands. Indeed, he lived the principle of generosity and sharing. Jesus tells us today: “You, too, go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:37b)
This Beatitude adds: “They shall be satisfied.” What is the satisfaction God gives?
I believe that the God of Life gives us Himself in Jesus as He proclaims: Trust me; I can satisfy your hunger and thirst for what is right; as a matter of fact, I fill the depths of your own existence. Fullness of life is in me and I give it to you with everything that sustains it: Love, Dignity, Peace, Freedom, Energy and the urge to share it with others.
Clearly this behavior of God reveals to us our vocation: to be people who give life, who hunger and thirst for what is right here on earth, with our eyes fixed on the world to come where Mary has gone before us. There, we will surely have the highest degree of fullness for what we work here in this world.
