Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Intro: Today's Gospel provides us with the benchmark for Christian living - the Beatitudes. While we try to achieve our own aims by force, Jesus points out His radically different way of achieving the same, which comes through compassion, love and self-sacrifice.
Readings: Zephaniah declares that God will do away with the proud and the arrogant, and choose a people who know how to do what is right.
Paul warns the Corinthians against boasting about the things of this world, reminding them how God chooses those whom the world considers weak.
Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13;
1 Corinthians 1: 26-31;
Matthew 5: 1-12;
Everything today is about manifestos, charters, benchmarks. In the Beatitudes, Jesus sets out His charter, the bench-mark for Christian living, describing the sort of people who will find real ultimate happiness with God.
The Beatitudes are sometimes called the Christian equivalent of the old testament Ten Commandments. But what's really striking about them is their style of expression - they're neither negative ("don't do this or that ..") nor commanding. Instead, they celebrate the gentle qualities which should be found in someone made in the image of God. But they're not just lovely words to be framed and hung up on the walls of our houses, a sort of "bless this house."
Sometimes it's much harder to pursue mercy, gentleness, peace, justice than to stick to the strict do's and don'ts of the Commandments. It's difficult for us to see weakness as good when we're constantly taught to be independent and rely on technology. It's difficult for us to see gentleness as good, when words like "wimp" spring so readily to mind. Yet to stay gentle in this rough world may take a will of iron! And what about those who mourn? How can they possibly be happy? Grief over loss is an aspect of love. Those who cannot, or do not, love others, cannot mourn them when they are gone. Now is the time to make up, to reconcile with estranged members of the family, before it's too late.
Those who hunger and thirst for what is right still have to live with frustration and disappointment much of the time. Despite that, if they hold firm, even when being persecuted in the cause of right, it may be a sign that they are already filled with the Spirit of God.
Then, of course, there are the merciful. But surely we all cry for justice rather than mercy - except when it comes to ourselves, when we beg for mercy and forgiveness, rather than justice!
The pure in heart must just be naive, simple souls. Better to be hard, cynical, worldly-wise. Which sort of person would you prefer among your family or friends?
In making peace, you become vulnerable, for your opponent may well take advantage of your refusal to fight. They may even crucify you. Does that ring a bell?
So the real good news is that the Kingdom of God is at hand: Jesus turned words into action when He cured sick people, cleansed lepers, forgave sinners; that's when He made the words of the Beatitudes a concrete reality for those whose lives were broken. In His final sermon in Matthew's Gospel, the last judgement parable, Jesus tells His followers that however they behaved towards the least of their brothers and sisters, is the way they behaved to Christ Himself. We may well hear the good news ... but how well do we live it out, and share it with others?
We meet God in so many special ways, places and times in our lives, and often when and where we least expect His presence, especially if it's seen in others. All He asks of us is to trust and believe in Him, and to do the same with all those with whom we come into contact, those who are also made in his image and likeness - just as we are.
Intercessions
Although we are weak and powerless, we know that we can always depend upon God to hear and answer our prayers which we place before Him now:-
1. For the Church throughout the world. May She remain as a true witness of Your values, and bring all peoples to the joy of Your Kingdom - Lord, hear us.
2. For those who govern. May they truly become peacemakers, discharging their responsibilities wisely, truthfully and with integrity - Lord, hear us.
3. For peace in our parish, our homes and above all in our own hearts. May that calm and inner peace radiate from us to all with whom we come into contact - Lord, hear us.
4. For the sick at home or in hospital, the poor in spirit, for all those who have no one to pray for them. Help them experience Your healing in their weakness - Lord, hear us.
5. For Benny Lappin, Rebecca Coughlan, Aileen Boyle, Eddie Carson, and Mary 0' Donnell who have died recently; and for those whose anniversaries we call to mind: Margaret Whitten, Joseph Doyle, and John Hamill. May they now share in the glory for which You created them - Lord, hear us.
Loving Father, open our eyes to see Your presence and Your goodness in others; open our minds to understand the teachings of Your Son in the Beatitudes, and put them into practice.