Have a Blessed Day

It seems that the new word of departure is no longer "Have a good day," but "Have a blessed day."  It is not something heard only on Sunday, or in church, but every day and everywhere we go.  Whenever I hear it, I always receive the words as a religious blessing.  Unlike "good day," "blessed day" is received as a word with spiritual overtones.  I wonder sometimes if it is  meant in such a way by the ones who speak it to me, or if it amounts to nothing more than casual words between people who need something to say.

 

The Beatitudes use this word.  The first one begins, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:3)  And, of course, this is only the beginning.  Each of the beatitudes which follow begins with this same word.  Some of the more modern translations, or versions of Scripture have changed the word "Blessed" to "Happy."  And while the alternative is a suitable change, it still does not quite measure up to the word originally associated with these beginning sentences of the Sermon on the Mount.

To speak of being "blessed" carries with it the image of something good coming to us from outside of ourselves.  It speaks of being gifted by God as the heart of His Son is shaped within us by the Holy Spirit.  We allow our heart to be open to the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit does a work in our heart that speaks of the heart of Jesus.  And, as all of this holy work is taking place within us, God chooses to gift us with spiritual blessing.  We are blessed not because of what human determination can do, but because of what the Holy Spirit can do with a heart that is eager to be shaped in the image of Jesus.