Blessed are the Losers!

The Beatitudes.

Blessed are those judged to be losers!

At least that?s how the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 might be read. Below is my own paraphrase of the biblical passage in contemporary language.

  • Blessed are those who have no reason to take pride in themselves and their achievements…
  • Blessed are those who suffer serious loss in their lives…
  • Blessed are those who are called softies because they will not go to war…
  • Blessed are those who can only throw up their hands in failure to help those whose lives they cannot mend…
  • Blessed are those whose hearts are able to encompass all who come to them…
  • Blessed are those who want very little for themselves and are ready to be purified still more…
  • Blessed are those who unite rather than divide…
  • Blessed are those who won?t conform to the popular program despite the taunts and threats…

Welcome to the kingdom, fellow losers.

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About the author

Francis X. Hezel, SJ
Francis X. Hezel, SJ

Francis X. Hezel, SJ, is a Jesuit priest who has lived and worked in Micronesia since 1963. At different times he has served as high school teacher, school administrator, pastor, and regional superior to the Jesuits of Micronesia. He spent thirty years directing the Micronesian Seminar, a non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Pohnpei, Micronesia. He has written and spoken widely about social change and its impact on island societies. He has also written several books on Micronesian history, including The First Taint of Civilization, Strangers in Their Own Land, and The New Shape of Old Island Cultures. His most recent book, Making Sense of Micronesia: The Logic of Pacific Island Culture, is available through University of Hawaii Press.

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