Access To The Power Of The Beatitudes:  

The practice of the Abundance Prayer helps us to grow into the life of the eight beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), which contain the essence of Christ’s teaching. 

‘How happy are the poor in spirit: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ 

To be truly poor in spirit means to have a two-fold awareness. First, that we acknowledge the truth in our hearts:  without God we are nothing, we have nothing, we can do nothing.  And second, that we appreciate the unlimited love and generosity of God. 

The Abundance Prayer helps us to create the sacred space to experience the abundant power of God in a relationship of celebration and gratitude.  And then to share that abundance with the world.  

‘Happy those who mourn:  they shall be comforted.’ 

Happy are those who stand in the shoes of Christ at one with him in his compassion for the pain of the world. 

 In the Abundance Prayer we become one with Christ in us, allowing his compassion to flow powerfully to the pain and suffering of all people.                                                                                                                                                     

‘Happy the gentle:  they shall have the earth for their heritage.’ 

Happy are those who adopt gentleness as their way of being.  God will satisfy their needs to overflowing.  And their influence in the world will be beyond measure. 

In the Abundance Prayer we create the sacred space for our true self, our gentle self, to be at one with the gentle Christ in us.  And so the Abundance Prayer brings to birth in us the gentle power of God. 

‘Happy are those who hunger and thirst for what is right:  they shall be satisfied.’  

Happy are those who are passionate in their pursuit of justice, passionate in their solidarity with the poor, the oppressed and the marginalized. 

We can touch all these people deeply with God’s love and establish solidarity with them by holding them in the sacred space of the Abundance Prayer.  In this way we grow into a hunger and thirst for justice. 

‘Happy the merciful:  they shall have mercy shown them.’ 

Happy are those whose eyes are open to the abundant power of God’s mercy to heal a broken and divided world.  

Holding those who are divided in the sacred space of the Abundance Prayer, we allow the divine mercy to flow freely, lifting the darkness and bringing about reconciliation, unity and peace. 

‘Happy are the pure in heart: they shall see God.’ 

Happy are those who are focused on God and what God’s love can do.  

The Abundance Prayer helps us to focus on God by eliminating the negatives that disperse our energies, creating the sacred space where we generate the unlimited power of God’s love for the world. 

‘Happy are the peacemakers: they shall be called sons and daughters of God.’  

Happy are those who make peace and deepen the existing peace:  in relationships, families, neighbourhoods and between countries.   

The Abundance Prayer generates unlimited divine peace for individuals, families, communities and the planet earth.  

‘Happy are those who are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.’ 

Happy are those who accept patiently the suffering and difficulties of life, even to the point of persecution and death.  

The Abundance Prayer generates a deep awareness of the gentle Christ within, from whom flows unlimited strength to deal patiently and constructively with whatever suffering and difficulties life may present. 

Conclusion:  As we practise the Abundance Prayer we grow into the eight loving attitudes.  Not only are we profoundly healed by these attitudes, but we become powerful agents of healing and growth for the transformed world.

Copyright © 2004 TheAbundancePrayer.com. All rights reserved. Flann Lynch O.f.m. Cap.