I heard a story years ago. This was a couple in the parish who came up to me and they were so excited to tell me the story about their little seven-year-old boy. The couple just had their second child and they were a little bit concerned about their son with bringing the new baby home. They were worried about maybe there might be some jealousy. We’ve all seen that in families. This beautiful little girl that had been born into their lives. Well, as they told me this story, they said they brought their little daughter home from the hospital and they put her in the room and they wanted to give their son a little bit of time to be alone with his new baby sister and to get acquainted. But as I said, they were concerned and so they kept the bedroom door open and as a little boy went in to meet his baby sister the parent’s heads were both poking through the door, making sure everything would be okay.

Well, it went pretty well and then the little boy said something very curious. He said to his little baby sister, “Quick, tell me where you come from for I’m beginning to forget.” Where do we come from? Sometimes we do forget. We’re born in the image and the likeness of God. We’re born in the love of God and brought into this world through our parents and what a wonderful thing that is, but sometimes we forget.

In the Gospel today it’s a version of the Beatitudes. Jesus is with his disciples. He’s coming down off the mountain. He finds a level place. People are waiting to hear the word preached to them. And so he begins to preach and reminds the people who they are. He tells them over and again, “You’re blessed. How blessed are you.” These are poor people. These are hungry people. These people, many of them their self-esteem has been diminished by powers and authorities that rule over them. And Jesus in his compassion and in his kindness and in his understanding and in his truth reminds those people who they are. They’re blessed over and again, he tells them, “You are blessed. You are the very children of God. The greatest dignity that can be a stowed on anyone.”

He enhances their self-esteem and reminds them of their God-given gifts. And so as we gather to celebrate Eucharist today, let us be grateful that we too are claimed as the very children of God through baptism. That each of us have been given gifts, innumerable gifts, and we’re simply asked to share those gifts with others. This is the day that the Lord has made, each and every day and how blessed we are.