Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
—Matthew 5:6
We pursue happiness, and it eludes us, for happiness is not found by striving for it directly but as a byproduct of seeking something else. Jesus said it comes from seeking righteousness.
The blessedness of this beatitude doesn’t depend on being righteous, but on hungering and thirsting for it. God judges us not only by our achievements, but also by our desires.
Hunger and thirst are ongoing yearnings. “Whoever comes to [Jesus] will never go hungry, and whoever believes in [him] will never be thirsty” (Jn 6:35) is fulfilled only in those who continue to hunger and thirst and continue to eat and drink.
Then will come that blessed day when we are at home where hunger and thirst are fully and eternally satisfied: “Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst” (Rv 7:16).
Hunger for righteousness. Avoid appetite-killing
in-between-meal snacks.