Welcome to WINE’s Summer Book Club! We are reading and discussing Blessed Are You: Finding Inspiration From Our Sisters in Faith by Melanie Rigney. We’re so happy you are joining us! We pray this book club will bless you and give you tangible ways to live the Beatitudes in your daily lives. We look forward to hearing from you in the comments section, throughout our time together.

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By Kelly Wahlquist

“Blessed are those who procrastinate but trust in the Lord, for theirs is a last minute inspirational influx of wisdom from the Holy Spirit.”

If you haven’t guessed already, that opening sentence isn’t in the Bible. It is part personal confession, part hopeful wish, and much too often a dire prayer of mine. You see, though I gobbled up Melanie Rigney’s Blessed Are You moments after reading a raving review on Amazon and ordering it with my “1-Click order” button … And though I was overcome with joy when Melanie agreed to let Blessed Are You be our “Read Between the WINEs Summer Book Club” book … And though I could hardly wait to write my reflection when Sarah Damm told me I was assigned to the chapter on joy—I procrastinated.

Thus, moments before a deadline I found myself desperately praying to the Holy Spirit, as I flipped to chapter nine, yellow highlighter in hand. Turning to page 129, I was shocked to see the first half of the first sentence had already been the target of my bright yellow pen. It was then that the Holy Spirit once again answered my prayer. (He never ceases to astonish!) For at that moment, I recalled why only the words “Rejoice and be glad” were aglow. Those words had stopped me in my tracks the first time I read them. I couldn’t read anything past “Rejoice and be glad,” because the moment my eyes hit those words a song filled my mind. The song was Blest Are They by David Haas. (If you haven’t heard it, I highly recommend listening to it now, before finishing this post. Go ahead. I’ll wait.)

As Blest Are They played in my mind, I couldn’t help but think of the instant joy I always feel when I hear a choir sing it. The words, the music, the blending of the harmonies, the comforting flowing rhythm—each aspect perfectly comes together to create a song that fills me with an interior peace, that without fail gives rise to an exterior happiness. Simply put, that song brings me joy.

In her final chapter, Melanie “almost” apologizes for not listing all the saints as an example of every Beatitude; a gesture that made me smile. What I love most about Melanie’s humble almost-apology is her simple explanation: “I realized there was an aspect of every women’s life that could have worked with each verse. I simply chose the one I felt, in prayer and meditation, would resonate with most of you.”

In bringing her writing to prayer and listening to the Holy Spirit, Melanie has given us a well-orchestrated symphony made up of women who, just like us, struggled on the road to holiness. She has shown us how each persevered in one Beatitude, but at the same time grew in the others. How encouraging to know that as we (perhaps) strive to perfect one Beatitude, we are naturally growing in the others!

Thank you, Melanie, for listening to the Holy Spirit and for sharing your wisdom and your heart with us. Above all, thank you for helping us to see, through the stories of our sisters in faith, that God does not procrastinate or hold back His supreme blessedness from us until we have achieved perfection. Thank you for helping us see that we are blessed and as sisters in Christ, we truly have reason to rejoice and be glad!

To Ponder, Reflect, and Discuss:

  1. What is the first Beatitude you remember speaking to your heart?
  2. Today, what verse of Our Lord’s “Sermon on the Mount” most resonates with you?
  3. Looking over your life, can you see how living one Beatitude has caused you to grow in the others? What Beatitudes were they?
  4. Bonus Question: How is God blessing you today?

YOUR TURN: Below in the comments box, please share your thoughts, inspirations, and reflections on Chapter 9, and/or your responses to any of these questions. Also, as we wrap up this wonderful book, please share your thoughts on our “Read Between the WINEs” Online Summer Book Club.

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This concludes our Read Between the WINEs Summer Book Club. Thank you for reading, pondering, and praying with Blessed Are You: Finding Inspiration From Our Sisters in Faith with us. To learn about additional book clubs that WINE will be offering soon, please visit our book club page.