Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck
A reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 5:1-12a
Dear Friends in Christ,
Daniel had signed the lease, hired two people, and spent most of his savings. Now his new company had three customers and a stack of bills. Each morning, he sat in the empty office and prayed, “Lord, show me how to do what’s right today.”
The first answer was uncomfortable. A supplier offered cheaper materials that Daniel knew would fail the people depending on his products. He said no. Instead, he called customers, listened to their struggles, and changed what the company made.
Months passed. Word spread among families who had long been priced out of the help they needed. Orders grew; so did Daniel’s team. He still prayed before work, especially on hard days.
When a new employee asked why he took such care with each order, Daniel smiled. “God didn’t promise me an easy start. He taught me whom this work is for. That’s why I trust Him.”
Bringing Our Deepest Hunger to Jesus
When Jesus sees the crowds, He goes up the mountain, sits down, and begins to teach. He does not begin with a list of achievements or a promise that life will become easy. He speaks to people who know what it means to need something: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who long for justice. Then He says, “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.”
We know what hunger feels like. It asks for our attention and will not quietly go away. Jesus uses that feeling to help us recognize a deeper need: the desire to live rightly with God and with one another. To hunger for righteousness is to want truth when a lie would be convenient, mercy when resentment feels easier, and justice when turning away would cost us nothing. It is also to want God Himself, because we cannot make ourselves whole by our own efforts.
Trust begins when we bring that hunger to the Lord instead of hiding it. We may pray, “Jesus, I want to do what is right, but I’m afraid. I don’t know what comes next.” That is a good prayer. Jesus does not ask us to pretend we have no fear. He invites us to follow Him with the fear we have.
The Beatitudes tell us what that following looks like. The poor in spirit know they need God. Those who mourn bring Him their sorrow. The meek refuse to make force or pride their answer. The merciful leave room for forgiveness; the peacemakers do the patient work of listening and repair. These are not different ways of earning God’s love. They are ways of receiving it and letting it shape our lives.
Trusting Jesus in Life’s Uncertain Choices
Jesus knows each of these paths from the inside. He welcomed people others dismissed. He comforted the grieving and spoke truth even when it brought Him opposition. On the cross, He gave Himself in love; in His Resurrection, He opened a hope that suffering cannot take away. When He calls us blessed, He is not speaking from a safe distance. He is inviting us to walk beside Him.
Perhaps you are facing a decision that makes you feel small. You may be starting a business, caring for someone who is ill, searching for work, or trying to mend a relationship. You want to trust God, but you would also like to know exactly how everything will turn out. Most of us would. Yet the promise “they will be satisfied” is not a guarantee of a smooth week or a successful plan. It is a promise that our desire for God and His righteousness is not wasted. He can meet us today, and He will bring His work to fullness in His Kingdom.
St. Augustine gives words to that longing: “You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” We can try to quiet that restlessness with praise, security, or control. Jesus offers us something better: His presence. He teaches us to ask not only, “Will this work?” but also, “Will this choice help me love God and my neighbor?”
That question belongs in ordinary places. It matters when we pay a worker, answer a difficult email, speak about someone who is absent, or notice a neighbor struggling to get by. We can hunger for righteousness by paying fairly, admitting a mistake, refusing to take advantage of someone’s weakness, and sharing what we have. We can be merciful without calling harm good. We can make peace without abandoning truth. Small choices, made in trust, can become a clear witness to Christ.
Staying Close to Jesus, Beginning Again in Trust
How do we keep that trust alive? We spend time with Jesus. Speak to Him honestly in prayer each day, even if all you can say is, “Lord, help me.” Listen to Him in the Gospel. Come to Mass and receive Him in the Eucharist, where He feeds us with His own life. When we have sinned, go to Confession and welcome His mercy. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide the next choice before you, then look for Christ in the person who needs your patience or help.
And when you fall short, begin again. The disciple who hungers for righteousness is not someone who has already become perfect. It is someone willing to return to Jesus and be taught. We need one another on that road. A kind word, a shared meal, a fair decision, a prayer offered for a neighbor: each can help another person believe that God has not forgotten them.
So let us come down from the mountain carrying Jesus’ words into our homes, workplaces, and streets. Like Daniel, who prayed in his uncertain days and chose to serve people rather than take an easier path, we can trust God with the next right step. We may not know where that step will lead, but we can know whom we are following. May the Holy Spirit keep our hearts hungry for righteousness, and may Christ give us the courage and joy to love our neighbors well. Thank You, LORD God, for loving us, for sending us Your Son, Jesus Christ, and for giving us the Holy Spirit. In You, our deepest hunger finds its home. Amen.
About Our Guest Blogger
Saint Carlo Acutis once said, “Not me, but God.” His words echo deeply in my own spiritual life. This blog is not about me, but about the work of the Holy Spirit. I choose to remain anonymous because the voice behind these reflections isn’t what matters — the One speaking through them is.
I am a lifelong Catholic with a deep love for Scripture, the sacraments, and the quiet ways God speaks through everyday life. Live the Eucharist was born from my desire to share how the Gospel and the Eucharist shape not just my Sundays, but every step of the journey.
My hope is that these reflections bless you, challenge you, and draw you closer to Jesus — truly present in the Eucharist and profoundly present in your daily life.
