FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME “A”2008
Most people don’t like to take medicine unless they really have to, and often, as with Butler’s Cough Medicine, for example, and as the man on T.V. says: “it tastes awful, but it works”. We agree to take our medicine because it does work and we feel better. In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus, Who is our Divine Physician, gives us medicine for life, a prescription to follow that will always work for our good, that will always make us better persons. Whenever we do what Jesus says we should do, then we will experience the peace and happiness we are looking for in life. But there is a catch. For the medicine to work we have to follow the prescription, and in following it to trust completely in God’s love and care for us.
When we read the Gospels certainly it is clear that Jesus had a compassionate heart for people, and a special care for those who were in difficulty or in any painful situation. He came to heal the sick and to comfort those in sorrow. He came to forgive our sins and to die that we might have eternal life with God. Today’s Gospel passage reports that ”When Jesus saw the crowds He went up the mountain, and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him........ and He taught them what we often refer to as the Beatitudes, a prescription for good living. Here are a few of my simple reflections on what Jesus taught us that day when He said: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” - Now to be poor in spirit does not mean being destitute or in need of food, clothing and shelter. No one who is without these necessities of life can be said to be someone who is blessed. Rather, to be poor in spirit means that, even if a person is very wealthy, that person is blessed if he or she is detached from wealth, doesn’t rely on money or on things, but rather relies totally on God, trusts completely in God for what is needed..
“Blessed are those who mourn” - Jesus said. Sometimes we mourn for a loved one who has died or for a relative or friend who is sick or injured. We are blessed too when we mourn for our sins and tell God that we are truly sorry for them. We are blessed when, in prayer, we mourn for the sins others commit and which contribute to so many evils in our world these days.
“Blessed are the meek” - Jesus said. To be meek means to be gentle, to be humble, to treat others with kindness, and respect. When we do that we are blessed because we allow ourselves to come under the Rule of God, to be controlled by God, to do what God wants us to do, rather than just doing what we want to do. It shouldn’t be “My Way or No Way” but always it must be “God’s Way.”
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” - Jesus said. We are blessed when we hunger for and seek what is right for ourselves as well as for others, and when we act justly and lovingly towards others.
“Blessed are the merciful” - Jesus said. In other words, how blessed we are when we learn how to be compassionate, that is, how to “suffer with” others, when we learn to see things as others see them, when we sincerely try to understand others and to feel what they are feeling, to forgive anyone who hurts us, and to comfort those in pain as far as we can.
“Blessed are the pure in heart” - Jesus said. To be pure in heart means that we act with unselfish motives, in a way that is honest and just towards others. It means that we try to see others as God sees them, and not as mere objects to be used to satisfy our desires. It means that we give others the dignity they deserve, because they too have been created in the image and likeness of God, and as Christians they are our brothers and sisters in Jesus worthy of our respect and genuine love.
“Blessed are the peacemakers” - Jesus said. A peacemaker is someone who builds bridges in human relationships, who tries to unite rather than divide, who promotes peace in every relationship rather than fighting and enmity. That can happen only when we put ourselves totally under the Rule of God and when God’s Will is what governs all our relationships with others. To illustrate this point here is a little story:
A man once designed an unusual package of seeds which he called “Peace Seeds.” In the package were six different coloured seeds with the following instructions for use: To grow a peaceful soul and a peaceful world sow these seeds in your life: the white one - is to help you forgive someone who has wronged you. The red one - is to help you to pray for someone you may not like. The green one - is so that you will be kind and welcoming to a stranger. The yellow one - will help you accept others who see things differently than you do. The blue one - will help you to be kind when someone is rude to you, and the pink one - will help you to be generous to someone less fortunate than you are. Plant these seeds in your life and watch what happens. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake." Jesus said. While on this earth Jesus had to suffer, and He freely chose to suffer and die on the Cross for our salvation. As His disciples we too must suffer. We cannot escape carrying a Cross. We should accept the Cross and then the experience of it can be a pleasant one, for suffering can be redemptive when joined to the sufferings of Jesus. We are blessed when we accept the sufferings that come to us, because we are trying to live life God’s way, and not the world’s way, because we are trying to live our lives following Jesus as our model and following His teachings as our guide.. Like Jesus we too must pray: “Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass Me by, but not as I will, let Your Will be done.” (Mt.26:39)
Jesus gives us this prescription for a healthy, spiritual life lived in union with Him. He will help us to live life the way God wants us to live it, and so be happy on this earth. With His help we can succeed. Hear again what Paul wrote to the Corinthians in today’s second reading: “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise. God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong. God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, so that no one might boast in the presence of God. God is the source of your life in Christ Jesus.....” (1 Cor.1:26-31).
Some here today may remember Father Basil Smith. He was a priest of this archdiocese who died several years ago, and who was very active in helping persons with addictions especially to alcohol.. Father Smith used to say to people: “just because you’re on the garbage truck you don’t have to go all the way to the dump” and he had another helpful saying which was: “just let go and let God”. He meant, of course, that we all need to let go of our fears, of our anxieties, of our worries and trust completely in God and in His loving Presence with us. For God will never abandon us. We need to trust in Jesus, the Divine Physician of our souls. He knows what we need and He offers it to us.
Monsignor Robert Joseph Latour, Pastor,
Annunciation of the Lord Parish,
Ottawa, Ontario,
Canada