FOURTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

29 JANUARY 2023

 

          We have been hearing from the Gospel of Saint Matthew for the last few Sundays.  Jesus has established his headquarters in Capernaum on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.  As he walks along the shore, he proclaims that the Kingdom of Heaven has arrived in him.  He invites his listeners to repent and be part of that Kingdom.  Last Sunday, he called two sets of brothers – Andrew and Simon and James and John.  They left their fishing boats and followed him.

            Today, he takes these two sets of brothers and others who have made a commitment to become his disciples to a mountain near the Sea.  Just as Moses had given the law on a mountain, Jesus gives his new law in the Sermon on the Mount.  He begins his sermon with words that must have comforted his disciples, who had given up everything to follow him.  He tells them that they are “blessed,” a Greek word that means “happy.”  They may not have any possessions or have any power, but they are blessed.  They may not always feel the emotion of happiness.  But they are grounded in a fortunate situation in being part of the Kingdom of Heaven already.  As members of that kingdom, they will be blessed in the future because of their intimate encounter with him as the Messiah.  When they will be persecuted, as he will be persecuted, they will know the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven as their reward. 

            Because this is the living Word of God, Jesus speaks it to us today.  For us in our world, these beatitudes can be both challenging and difficult.  Let’s be honest with one another.  We count our blessings when we are safe and healthy, productive and successful, financially secure, and usually married with children.  And we rightly give thanks to God for all these blessings.  But we need to hear these beatitudes from the God who does not operate in the ways we would imagine.  Throughout the Old Testament, God regularly proclaims a preference for the poor and oppressed, along with a special care for the widow and orphan.  God did not enter human existence as a triumphant king.  He came as a vulnerable infant born in poverty.  As the disciples would eventually understand, he will not offer salvation through an amazing visible victory.  He will destroy death by entering into death himself.  God’s ways are not our ways.

            It is from this perspective that he challenges us with his beatitudes.  As disciples, we are truly blessed (or happy) when we understand that wealth and possessions will not ultimately save us.  We are happy when we mourn the wickedness of the world, and when we get our feelings out in mourning the loss of a loved one.  We are happy when we are meek, relying on God and not our strength to set things right.  We are happy when we long for God’s saving action in the same way we hunger for food and thirst for drink.  We are happy when we offer mercy to others, as God has offered mercy to us.  We are happy when we are peacemakers, when we make genuine efforts to bring harmony with God and other people.  Even if we are persecuted and rejected for our faithfulness to the Son of God, we will be happy for our reward in the fullness of the Kingdom of Heaven at the end of our lives.

            Jesus promises us that we will experience true happiness if we embrace these beatitudes and work to make them an integral part of our lives.  Like the first disciples, we realize that the happiness that Jesus promises is not an emotional state.  It is the state of being part of the Kingdom of Heaven in our midst.  Like those earliest disciples, we encounter him in Word and Sacrament.  Like them, we trust that the Kingdom will be fully realized at the end.  Like them, we can make a difference in our world by showing others what it looks like to be truly blessed, truly happy people.

 

THIRD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

22 JANUARY 2023

 

          The prophet Isaiah speaks to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah dwelling in darkness.  The Assyrians are about to annihilate the northern kingdom of Israel.  They already carry the yoke of slavery.  The pole of domination is heavy on their shoulders.  The rod of their occupiers leaves them little hope.  Those in Judah fear that the same fate awaits them.  But Isaiah gives them hope.  Through the leadership of Gideon, God had delivered their ancestors from the Midianites.  Now, God will deliver them.  Those who walk in darkness will see a great light.  They will experience abundant joy and will make merry at God’s saving hand. 

Saint Matthew sees this prophecy fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  We celebrated that bright light at Christmas.  Now, Jesus begins his public ministry in Capernaum on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, revealing that great light through his miracles.  The religious leaders in Jerusalem consider Galilee to be an area of darkness.  Those in the fishing industry do not take the ritual steps of purification.  They handle the bodies of dead fish all the time without taking time off and purifying themselves.  They also intermingle with the Greek pagans in their territory. 

It is here in this darkness that Jesus, the light of the world, announces that the kingdom of heaven has arrived.  He insists that those who want to be part of the kingdom must repent, must change their ways.  As he walks along, he invites two brothers, Peter and Andrew, to be part of that kingdom.  Then he invites two other brothers, James and John.  Both sets of brothers respond and follow him immediately.  Normally, those interested in being disciples choose the rabbi they want to follow.  Jesus is the one who chooses them.

In choosing these fishermen, he will teach them how to use their skills to do what he is doing – catching other human beings to be formed into disciples.  The Lord has already chosen us to be part of the kingdom of heaven when we were baptized.  He continues to call us to make immediate choices at various times in our lives.  When we weaken or break our connection with the kingdom through our sins, he calls us again through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Many parishioners made immediate choices when they participated in a Christ Renews His Parish retreat.  He is calling us during this parish Year of Encounter to encounter him more profoundly, especially in the Eucharist.  He is calling us to recognize his presence in those around us, especially in those whom we might find difficult or challenging.

We also live in a very dark world, filled with deep divisions, profound distrust, racial hatred, and wars.  We need to trust that we can reflect his light in this dark world, just as Saint Paul encouraged the members of the Christian community of Corinth to embrace this mission.  At the heart of this mission is the cross of Jesus Christ.  That cross invites disciples to die to a desire for power, control, wealth, and all kinds of allurements drawing us away from Christ.

Saint Paul speaks to us, the members of the Christian community of Saint Pius.  We face the same temptations that the Corinthians did.  Just as they were divided by their attraction to certain human leaders, we too can be divided from each other.  Instead of finding our common identity in our baptism into Jesus Christ, we can further the divisions of our time by identifying too much with human ministers.  Some prefer Pope Benedict.  Others lean toward Pope Francis.  Some identify with a certain website or an individual on a You Tube video.  In our parish, some identify with Fr. Augustine.  Others with the crazy pastor.  All of us ministers are fragile humans with different strengths and weaknesses.  As Saint Paul himself admits, we are all sinners.  The Lord is calling all of us to the mission of fishing for people.  We can do that only when we know our common identity is in Christ, despite our differences of opinion and personal preferences.