The Lord wants to bless us more than we can ever imagine because He loves us even to dying on the cross. He wants to bless us by showing us kindness. However, if we are proud, we will misappropriate this type of blessing. Therefore, the Lord blesses the proud by giving them sternness rather than kindness (1 Pt 5:5). To be blessed with kindness, we must humble ourselves (Mt 23:12).

To be blessed right now with the glory of God’s kingdom, we must humble ourselves by choosing poverty and/or persecution for righteousness’ sake (Mt 5:3, 10). To be blessed with consolation, we should humble ourselves by sorrowing for our sins (Mt 5:4; see 2 Cor 7:10). To be blessed with land, we are to choose the humility of lowliness (Mt 5:5). To be blessed with fulfillment, we must humble ourselves by seeking holiness rather than the satisfaction of our selfish desires (Mt 5:6). To be blessed by receiving God’s mercy, we must humble ourselves by giving mercy to those who have hurt us (Mt 5:7). To be blessed with seeing God, we are to humble ourselves by rooting out of our hearts anything not of God (Mt 5:8). To receive the blessings reserved for God’s children, we must humble ourselves by making peace rather than war against our enemies (Mt 5:9). The blessings of the Beatitudes are based on one attitude — humility.

Rescript:  "In accord with the Code of Canon Law, I hereby grant the Nihil Obstat for the publication One Bread, One Body covering the time period from June 1, 2024, through July 31, 2024. Reverend Steve J. Angi, Chancellor, Vicar General, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio October 4, 2023"

The Nihil Obstat ("Permission to Publish") is a declaration that a book or pamphlet is considered to be free of doctrinal or moral error. It is not implied that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat agree with the contents, opinions, or statements expressed.