{"id":6085,"date":"2026-10-29T16:42:27","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T16:42:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inquietar.com\/lectio-divina-31-domingo-ordinario-bienaventurados\/"},"modified":"2026-10-29T16:49:08","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T16:49:08","slug":"lectio-divina-for-the-31st-sunday-in-ordinary-time-blessed-are-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/inquietar.com\/en\/lectio-divina-for-the-31st-sunday-in-ordinary-time-blessed-are-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Lectio Divina for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time: Blessed Are You"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n

31st Sunday in Ordinary Time \u00b7 Matthew 5:1-12<\/p>\n

Blessed are you<\/span><\/h1>\n

Building today on the promise of tomorrow<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

This Lectio Divina for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time<\/strong> takes us to Matthew 5:1-12<\/strong>, the gateway to the Sermon on the Mount. This Sunday, November 1, is also the Solemnity of All Saints, and the Church proclaims the Beatitudes: a portrait of Jesus himself and the path walked by those who now rejoice in God.<\/p>\n

Jesus does not promise a life without trouble. He offers a happiness that comes from belonging to his Kingdom. Let us pray through Lectio, Meditatio, Oratio, Contemplatio and Communicatio in the Augustinian Recollect tradition.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

01<\/span>Lectio<\/a>
\n02<\/span>Meditatio<\/a>
\n03<\/span>Oratio<\/a>
\n04<\/span>Contemplatio<\/a>
\n05<\/span>Communicatio<\/a><\/div>\n
\n

Invocation<\/p>\n

Come, Holy Spirit<\/h2>\n

Come, Holy Spirit,
\nthrough whom every devout soul
\nthat believes in Christ is made holy
\nand becomes a citizen
\nof the City of God.<\/p>\n

Come, Holy Spirit;
\nopen us to the promptings of God.
\nKindle your fire within us,
\nenlighten us and lift us up to God.<\/p>\n

Saint Augustine (En. Ps. 45:8 \u00b7 Sermon 128:4)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Gospel<\/p>\n

Matthew 5:1-12<\/h2>\n

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cBlessed are the poor in spirit,
\nfor theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blessed are they who mourn,
\nfor they will be comforted.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blessed are the meek,
\nfor they will inherit the land.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
\nfor they will be satisfied.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blessed are the merciful,
\nfor they will be shown mercy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blessed are the clean of heart,
\nfor they will see God.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blessed are the peacemakers,
\nfor they will be called children of God.<\/span><\/p>\n

Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
\nfor theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Gospel of the Lord<\/p>\n

R\/ Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

01<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Lectio<\/p>\n

What the text says<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Saint Augustine read the Beatitudes as a ladder: each one matches a gift of the Holy Spirit, and we climb from the humility of the fear of the Lord up to the wisdom that contemplates God. That is why they do not begin at the top, but with the poor in spirit.<\/p>\n

\n

Saint Augustine<\/p>\n

When the prophet Isaiah extolled those seven well-known gifts of the Spirit, he began with wisdom and ended with the fear of God, as though coming down from the heights to where we are, in order to teach us how to climb. He began with the gift we long to reach and ended with the gift where we must start. \u201cThe Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,\u201d he says, \u201ca spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and strength, a spirit of knowledge and piety, a spirit of fear of the Lord.\u201d Just as he came down from wisdom to fear, not by falling but by teaching, so we must rise from fear to wisdom, not by growing proud but by making progress. For \u201cthe fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom\u201d\u2026<\/p>\n

The valley stands for humility. And who is humble if not the one who fears God, whose heart is broken by that fear, by the tears of confession and repentance? A contrite and humbled heart God will not spurn\u2026 So, having placed wisdom first, that unfailing light of the mind, he added understanding, as if to answer those who ask by which rung one reaches wisdom: \u201cBy understanding; and understanding by counsel; counsel by strength; strength by knowledge; knowledge by piety; and piety by fear\u201d\u2026<\/p>\n

Sermon 347, 2<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Saint Thomas of Villanova<\/p>\n

\u201cThey speak but do not act; they talk but do not do. Had God given us a tongue and no hands, it would be no surprise if we spoke without acting. But since we received from God one tongue and two hands, why do we talk so much and do so little? This truly frightens me. Take care of your deeds, then, O man, for on them all your good is founded.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Beatitudes are not meant to be recited; they are learned with our hands, in concrete acts of mercy, peace and justice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Commentary<\/p>\n

Building today on the promise of tomorrow<\/h2>\n

The word \u201cblessed\u201d does not simply mean \u201ccheerful\u201d or \u201cfree of problems.\u201d It declares that these people are happy in God\u2019s sight, because their situation is not left outside the promise and the action of his Kingdom.<\/p>\n

That is why the promises are in the future tense (\u201cthey will be comforted,\u201d \u201cthey will be satisfied,\u201d \u201cthey will see God\u201d), while the first and the eighth Beatitudes speak in the present: \u201ctheirs is the Kingdom of heaven.\u201d With Jesus, the Kingdom has already drawn near, yet its fullness is still to come.<\/p>\n

\n
The poor in spirit<\/strong> recognize their need for God and live humbly, without clinging to wealth, power or status.<\/div>\n
Those who mourn<\/strong> face suffering with hope, trust in God\u2019s comfort and let themselves be moved by the pain of others.<\/div>\n
The meek<\/strong> act with humility and quiet strength, never resorting to violence, coercion or domination.<\/div>\n
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness<\/strong> long passionately to live by God\u2019s will and to build a more just world.<\/div>\n
The merciful<\/strong> welcome, understand, forgive and reach out with compassion to those in need.<\/div>\n
The clean of heart<\/strong> live with sincerity and inner integrity, seeking God without hypocrisy or pretense.<\/div>\n
The peacemakers<\/strong> actively work for reconciliation, forgiveness and unity, overcoming division and violence.<\/div>\n
Those persecuted for righteousness<\/strong> stay faithful to Christ and his Gospel even in the face of rejection, hardship and persecution.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Above all, the Beatitudes are a portrait of Jesus. That is why they ring out so clearly on the feast of All Saints: the saints are those who let themselves be shaped by them, and they show us that this path can truly be walked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

02<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Meditatio<\/p>\n

What the Word says to me<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cHis disciples came to him. He began to teach them.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Jesus sits down, as great teachers did, yet with a closeness that is easy to miss. He sits right beside us and speaks of wonderful things, simple things, things we can truly live when we stay in his presence: the joy of living simply and gently, of seeking and offering comfort, of hungering for justice, of showing mercy and of working for peace.<\/p>\n

Do I come to Jesus with a heart ready to learn his way of living?<\/p>\n

\u201cRejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Even in the midst of hardship we can live with joy; not because suffering or injustice is good, but because our faithfulness to Christ keeps us rooted in hope. Our true treasure lies in the eternal life Jesus promises. This is our hope: to live the present in the light of a future no one can take from us.<\/p>\n

Does the hope Jesus promises change the way I face the struggles of today?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

03<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Oratio<\/p>\n

What I say to God<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

With Saint Augustine, we turn in prayer to the God who is the source of all true happiness.<\/p>\n

\n

I call upon you, God who are Truth,
\nbeginning, source and author of all truth.
\nI call upon you, God who are Wisdom,
\nbeginning, source and author of all wisdom.<\/p>\n

I call upon you, God, true and abundant Life,
\nbeginning, source and author of all life.
\nI call upon you, God who are Happiness,
\nbeginning, source and author of all happiness.<\/p>\n

I call upon you, God of Goodness and Beauty,
\nbeginning, source and author of all that is good and beautiful.
\nI call upon you, God, the Light of the mind,
\nbeginning, source and author of all understanding.<\/p>\n

I call upon you, O God, with all my heart.<\/p>\n

Saint Augustine \u00b7 Soliloquies 1.1.3<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

04<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Contemplatio<\/p>\n

Lord, let me remember you<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

In silence\u2026<\/p>\n

We contemplate<\/h3>\n

Picture Jesus seated on the mountain, surrounded by his disciples. Listen as he proclaims the Beatitudes, and discover the kind of happiness he offers to those who want to follow him.<\/p>\n

Let him look at you<\/h3>\n

Allow his gaze to rest on your life just as it is today.<\/p>\n

Which Beatitude touches my life most deeply right now?<\/p>\n

Where am I looking for happiness, and what is Jesus inviting me to discover?<\/p>\n

Remain<\/h3>\n

Stay in silence and let the Beatitude that moved you most echo within you. Repeat it slowly and ask for the grace to welcome it and live it.<\/p>\n

To contemplate is to let Jesus teach us to be happy in his way.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n

05<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Communicatio<\/p>\n

In him we are all one<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Together\u2026<\/p>\n

Share<\/h3>\n

Each person briefly shares which Beatitude touched their heart and what it revealed about their own life.<\/p>\n

Discern<\/h3>\n

Together we listen for what the Lord is asking of us as a community.<\/p>\n

Which attitudes keep us from the way of life Jesus offers?<\/p>\n

Who around us needs to find in us the mercy, peace or comfort Jesus proclaims?<\/p>\n

Walk<\/h3>\n

We choose one Beatitude to light up our life together and agree on a concrete gesture to live it out this week. Each person may also make a personal commitment.<\/p>\n

Poor, so that God can make us rich;
\nmerciful, so that wounds can heal;
\npeacemakers on the road of every day.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Prayer<\/p>\n

Thank you, Lord<\/h2>\n

Thank you, my Lord,
\nfor all you have given me
\nand inspired in me during this time.<\/p>\n

May my restless heart
\nnever stop burning
\nuntil at last it finds its rest in you,
\nmy one true love.<\/p>\n

May all be for the greater glory of your name,
\nand may we all be of one mind
\nand one heart, intent upon you,
\nour God.<\/p>\n

Amen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Prayer<\/p>\n

For vocations<\/h2>\n

Lord our God,
\nlet the call of your voice reach many hearts.<\/p>\n

May they rise up and live united in you.<\/p>\n

Prepare their hearts with your Word,
\nso that they may bring the Good News to the poor
\nand tend your abundant harvest.<\/p>\n

Lord, may all who are called to Augustinian Recollect life
\nhear your voice
\nand be able to fulfill your will.<\/p>\n

Amen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

And now\u2026<\/p>\n

What if the happiness Jesus offers is meant for you too?<\/p>\n

Let your heart be restless<\/a><\/p>\n

dejate.inquietar.com<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

PredicAR \u00b7 Augustinian Recollects<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lectio Divina del 31\u00ba Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario sobre Mateo 5, 1-12. En la solemnidad de Todos los Santos, Jes\u00fas nos sienta a su lado y nos ense\u00f1a las bienaventuranzas: una felicidad que no depende de una vida sin problemas, sino de pertenecer a su Reino. Recorremos Lectio, Meditatio, Oratio, Contemplatio y Communicatio al estilo agustiniano recoleto.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6086,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[342],"tags":[345,852,346,350,853,854,364,357,358,359,855,366],"class_list":["post-6085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lectio","tag-augustinian-recollects","tag-bienaventuranzas","tag-cycle-a","tag-lectio-divina","tag-lectio-divina-31-domingo-ordinario","tag-mateo-5","tag-ordinary-time","tag-predicar","tag-saint-augustine","tag-saint-thomas-of-villanova","tag-todos-los-santos","tag-vocations"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/inquietar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6085","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/inquietar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/inquietar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inquietar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inquietar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6085"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/inquietar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6085\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6094,"href":"https:\/\/inquietar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6085\/revisions\/6094"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inquietar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6086"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/inquietar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6085"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inquietar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6085"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/inquietar.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6085"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}