SIXTH SUNDAY
IN OT C
2025
It is
incredible in Luke’s Gospel how Jesus consistently stood with the poor and
marginalized. Jesus is looking at us
right in the eye when He says: “Blessed are you who are poor” and “Woe to you
who are rich.” Luke’s special concern
for the poor, the marginal and the sinner are a central feature in Luke’s
unique parables of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, and the widow and the
unjust judge. Zacchaeus the tax
collector convinced Jesus of his conversion by promising to give half his possessions
to the poor, and Jesus advised his wealthy contemporaries to be sure that their
banquets were frequented by the poor, blind, crippled and lame. This is a quick overview of the unique
features of Luke’s Gospel.
In today’s
Gospel, Jesus gives us teaching on the Beatitudes, a teaching that turns
worldly values upside down. These words
challenge us to reflect on what we seek in life – comfort and security in
earthly things or deep trust in God’s promises.
The message
of Jesus is radical. He doesn’t just
bless the poor, hungry, and suffering – He also pronounced woes on the rich,
satisfied, and praised.
Blessed are you
who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours.
This is not just about material poverty, but a spirit of dependence on
God. Those who recognize their need for
God are truly blessed.
Woe to you
who are rich. Jesus warns against
placing our security in wealth, comfort, or social status. Riches are not evil, but when they replace
our trust in God, they become dangerous.
I suggest
three simple ways to live this Gospel in our daily life.
· Put God first. Instead of relying on material success,
cultivate a deeper relationship with God through prayer and trust.
· Be generous. Share your blessings with those in need. Wealth is a gift meant to be used for the
good of others.
· Seek justice and truth. Stand up for what is right, even when it’s
unpopular. The world may reject Gospel
values, but Christ calls us to live life differently.
When we
understand that ours are the only hands God can use to make a difference, our
compassion will not let us rest until we go into action. The commitment of the disciples may end up
making them poor, but they will experience a blessedness that is
priceless. This is the blessedness that
Jesus offers to those who live the Beatitudes in their lives from day to day.
What about
ourselves as a parish community who seek to live out the Beatitudes in our
lives? How do hear those challenging
words of Jesus: Blessed are you who are
poor.” “Woe to you who are rich.”
Those of us
who have been nourished well and received a decent education understand that we
will never experience the poverty of our brothers and sisters who lack that
foundation. Further, there is nothing virtuous about destitution and
malnutrition. This is certainly a far
cry from blessedness.
The
blessedness we seek, the conversion we seek is to commit ourselves to be agents
of change in the way we share the blessings we enjoy. The commitment we seek is to follow in the
footsteps of Jesus who came to serve and not to be served, who washed the feet
of his disciples and calls us to wash the feet of God’s poor.
The tire
hits the road in our spiritual journey when we ask ourselves how much of the
blessings of life that I enjoy am I willing to share with others? What commitment will I make to building the
ministries of our parish life? Frankly,
Jesus doesn’t give us much wiggle room.
From the
prophet Jeremiah in the first reading and in our responsorial psalm, “Blessed
is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is the Lord.” As our trust in the Lord is deepened, we
experience a new freedom in sharing what was previously thought to be
impossible.
The joy of the Lord we seek comes with a
spirit of generosity. The promise I
always make is you will never regret your generosity in the service of others. I have had the privilege of listening to
many, many eulogies or Words of Remembrance in our funeral liturgies, I have
never once heard a family member or a friend regret the deceased person’s
generosity.
As we think
about our hopes and dreams for us as a parish community, we continue to dream about
more and more becoming a listening, missionary Church. We are a parish characterized by missionary
outreach in support of St. Mary’s School in Tanzania. We are missioned to continue to expand the
ministry of Penfield Hope that started with just a few shelves of food in our
office basement to now serving hundreds of families at its location at 1771
Penfield Road. The expansiveness of Penfield
Hope brings hope and food to urban food cupboard. Our social outreach initiatives will continue
to grow.
We support
and empower St Joseph’s School to provide Catholic education for our youth. Our school is a privileged opportunity to
form and fashion our students after the mind and heart of Jesus. Our youth
ministry is a major priority. We are all
in in providing faith formation and sacramental preparation for all our
parishioners. As a parish community, we
engage in pastoral care to the hospitalized and for people in hurting moments
of life. We are planning in the Lenten
season to provide adult educational opportunities that support the spiritual
renewal of so many parishioners. The
list goes on and on.
The spirit
of evangelization we seek is to further motivate ourselves to move beyond our
comfort zone in serving the poor, the hungry, the weeping, the displaced, and
all who are in need. Pope Francis in his
recent letter to the Bishops in the United States calls us to work closely with
migrants and refugees, proclaiming Jesus Christ and promoting fundamental human
rights. The Pope continues: “God will
richly reward all that you do for the protection and defense of those who are
considered less valuable, less important or less human!
May our
discipleship of the Lord Jesus Christ be characterized by a spirit of
generosity that leads us to help build our parish community and leads to reach
out in service to all our brothers and sisters.
Have a
blessed day.
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