Beatitudes

Holiness and union with God: two facets of life in Christ. As we listen to Jesus’ words in the Gospel of St. Luke during the Sixth and Seventh Sundays in Ordinary Time, we are taught the radical call to holiness, the radical call to love, by Jesus, offering a paradigm shift for then and now. The call of beatitude, holiness and harmony.

Radical call to holiness (Lk 6:17-26)

“Jesus, are you saying that when we are poor, hungry, weeping, hated, excluded, insulted and denounced, that we are blessed?” This makes little sense on the surface. In fact this question is common as we ponder the four beatitudes and curses cited in St. Luke’s Gospel, which parallel St. Matthew’s Gospel account of the Eight Beatitudes. The beatitudes open the path to radical holiness. Each verse is an invitation from Jesus to follow him as disciples. When did we see Jesus poor, hungry, weeping, hated, insulted, denounced? 

Poverty, herein, is a call for detachment from worldly possessions and being completely aligned to the will of God, so much so that love pours in ways unimaginable. Jesus says, “I have come for the poor, the detached,” and as we see in St. Luke’s Gospel (4:16-19): “He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.” And again in St. Mark’s Gospel (10:21-22): “Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him, ‘You are lacking in one thing. Go, sell what you have, and give to (the) poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me. At that statement his face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.’ ” Jesus is calling us to detach from that which keeps us from following the will of God, the good that God desires for each of us, his kingdom.

Hunger, both physical and spiritual, is a basic human response to the lack of nourishment that sustains the person. When we eat little, our bodies are empty, and we hunger  for more. When we pray little, our relationship with God is shallow, and we shut down. Jesus experienced physical hunger in the desert for 40 days. He witnessed those with spiritual hunger, as they were inspired to follow him, to “feed on” his words and later, as we experience, his most precious body and blood in the Eucharist. When we hunger and experience discomfort, we are reminded of the life giving water and bread which comes from God, in Jesus, the word of God. We cannot live on bread alone, Jesus teaches, “but from every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Mt 4:4). God satisfies our hunger.

Hated, excluded, insulted and denounced … yes, Jesus experienced each in various ways, more profoundly during the Passion. Such a reward is given to those who experience the same as disciples, a heavenly reward, union with God. This happens today, even within families. Conversations about God, Jesus, faith have turned into subjective attacks ushering in a silence so piercing that nothingness prevails, relationships slip and hate, insult, exclusion and denouncement hover. The first apostles, the early church, and us, today, go through some form of rejection. We know by his words Jesus blesses those who experience such rejection, yet remain faithful to the witness of truth. God’s truth.

Radical call to love (Lk 6:27-38)

Together with a radical call to holiness is the radical call to love. Psalm 103 examines the Lord’s kindness and mercy. Lest we forget God’s infinite mercy upon all, we are invited to love the same. St. Luke accounts Jesus’ teaching “to you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. To the person who strikes you on one cheek, offer the other one as well. Do to others as you would have them do to you” (Lk 6:27-29) and so on. The “Golden Rule” has been part of our faith since childhood. Practicing this is a challenge some days. But offering mercy is life-giving. It is a love like no other, for it calls us to embrace empathy, compassion, forgiveness, love … wanting the good for the other. 

What good should I want for someone who causes me injury? Mercy. As God desires mercy, so should we desire mercy for the harm inflicted. Why? Because God poured mercy on us, through the love of Jesus, whose love and mercy, dying on the cross, redeemed us, saved us from the harmful effects of sin, acts of rejecting God and our neighbor. When someone harms us, do we want to “punch them” or, instead, pray for them? Radical love. It pushes us to the edge of sacrifice. Do we embrace God’s mercy and go the distance with love, peace and hope? Do we love so radically that it invites others to encounter the loving mercy of God?

Preparing for Lent

We are fast approaching the season of Lent. Prepare today for a prayerful, merciful and grace-filled Lent. Resources will be available at diobr.org. God bless you!

Dow is the director of the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis.