Blessed are those who trust in God alone

 

Welcome to my blog. Peace be with you.

May God speak to you through his Word.

Wednesday 9 September 2020

Blessed are those who trust in God alone

Father in heaven, give us the grace to live with the same faith and trust in your love and goodness that Jesus your Son had in his human life on earth. Then we will not live according to the culture of this world but of our home in heaven. We make our prayer through the same Christ Jesus, your Son.

 

Gospel

Luke 6:20-26

Happy are you who are poor, who are hungry, who weep

 

 

Blessings and Woes

20 Then he looked up at his disciples and said:

1.     “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

2.      “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.

3.     “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

4.     “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.

1.      “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.

2.     “Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry.

3.     “Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.

4.      “Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

Prayerful reflection

Jesus looks at his disciples. They are the new Israel, founded on the Twelve Apostles as the Twelve Tribes were founded on the twelve sons of Jacob. They teach us how to live as disciples of Jesus. Disciples are not just followers of Jesus. Many people followed Jesus but they were not disciples. Disciple but their faith in Jesus as their leader and guru. They believe and base their lives on his Word and promises.

The main promise of Jesus is that there is the Kingdom of heaven, which is life with God. This is eternal life. Those who attain eternal life will be like God, ‘they will him as he is.’ (1^st letter of John).

If we wish to enter eternal life, then we must be poor. ‘Blessed are the poor’ entitles us to have what we need for a reasonably comfortable life. Beyond this, however, we must use our surplus to help those in need. Jesus’ disciples can never live without practical concern for the needy. If they do, then they forfeit eternal life in the Kingdom of God. (Woe to you rich).

Those disciples, while putting their faith in God’s goodness, mourn because of the difficulties they experience in this life are ‘blessed.’ One day their Father will make them to laugh. Likewise, those disciples who are hungry now, will one day receive plenty at the hands of their Father.

On the contrary, those who put their faith in the things of this world to give them the joy, peace, and happiness, we all desire, will in the end lose everything.

The choice, Jesus says, is ours.  Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and put it into practice, they will enter the Kingdom of heaven.

Prayer

Father in heaven. may all your disciples live lives of moderation in love for their needy brothers and sisters and so be a witness of the Kingdom of Heaven. We make or prayer through your Son, Christ our Lord