Reflections on the Word of God for 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 Jesus said: learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart

 How blessed are the poor in spirit, the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs

4th Sunday in Ordinary Time A

Zephaniah 2: 3. 3:12-13 Psalm 145: 7-10, Rv. Mt 5:3 1Cor 1:26-31

In your midst I will leave a humble and lowly people

How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Those whom the world considers contemptible are the ones God has chosen.

Rejoice and be glad for your reward will be great in heaven.

  

Matthew 5: 1-12.

Seeing the crowds, he went onto the mountain. And when he was seated his disciples came to him.

2 Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

3 How blessed are the poor in spirit: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

4 Blessed are the gentle: they shall have the earth as inheritance.

5 Blessed are those who mourn: they shall be comforted.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for uprightness: they shall have their fill.

7 Blessed are the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart: they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be recognised as children of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of uprightness: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

11 'Blessed are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you falsely on my account.

12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven; this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.

Are you the image of Jesus?

Blessed are the poor in spirit. Jesus is the embodiment of all the beatitudes. “Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor”. “The Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head”.  “Though he always had the nature of God he emptied himself and took the nature of a servant being born in the likeness of man’. We are to be like our Master.

Jesus is radical in his demands. “Do not store up treasures here on earth.”  If we do possess a treasure we should give it away. “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven.”  “You cannot serve both God and money.” “Use worldly wealth to gain friends so that when it is gone you will be welcomed into the eternal dwellings.” “Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide for yourselves …treasure in heaven”. Where your treasure is there will be your heart”. “Do not work for food that perishes”  “I was hungry and you gave me to eat.” If we believe in Jesus, we will be poor. We will share everything we have.

Jesus is gentle. “A bruised reed he will not break” He is “like a lamb lead to slaughter”. He mourns over sinners. “As Jesus approached Jerusalem and saw the city he wept over it” On the contrary he rejoices when a sinner repents.

He hungers for what is right. “He has put down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up the downtrodden. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty handed”.

He is the merciful one: “My son your sins are forgiven”. “Her sins, her many sins are forgiven” “I will not condemn you either”

Blessed are the pure in heart. “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and finish the work he gave me to do”

Jesus is the peacemaker “He is our peace. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near” Eph 2:17.

He was persecuted: “they hated me without cause”

In giving us the beatitudes Jesus described himself. When we are recreated by the Spirit we will manifest these beatitudes in our lives too. For all those who are in Christ are a new creation. (2Cor5:17) ‘All of you, who were given to Christ through Baptism, have put on Christ’ (Gal3:27). When we truly recognize that we are totally dependent on God’s goodness for everything – blessed are those who know they are spiritually poor – then the Holy Spirit can form the qualities of Jesus in us.

Have you realised that you totally depend on God for everything?

Father, grant that I may reflect the values of Jesus in my life.