Homily for 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A 2017
Zephaniah 2:3; 3:12-13; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; Matthew 5:1-12
Introduction
We Catholics like to make lists of things: The Fourteen Stations of the Cross, The Twelve Apostles, The Ten Commandments and the quite popular Seven: Seven Sacraments, Seven Capital Sins, Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit and so on.
In today’s gospel we hear another list, one that is perhaps not as popular. This is the list of the Eight or Nine Beatitudes depending on how you count them. I am sure that being the good Catholics that we are, we can name the Ten Commandments, the Seven Sacraments and hopefully the four gospels.
But how many of us can name the nine Beatitudes? I have to confess, that if I wasn't the one asking the question, I too probably could not name them all!
Scripture and Theology
Thankfully we have a good excuse for not being able to name the Beatitudes. Unlike the Ten Commandments which tell us to do this or avoid that, the Beatitudes do something entirely different. They provide the foundation, the background to everything we Christians do. They are the attitude and philosophy with which we observe the Ten Commandments. While it is easy to name and measure observance of a commandment, it is not always easy to do so with the Beatitudes. That is why the Rich Young Man in the gospel could rightly tell Jesus that he had observed all the commandments; but he could not say the same thing about his observance of the Beatitudes; and he went away sad.
It is like in that old Black and White movie, the Bells of St. Mary’s, where young Patsy has to write an essay on the five senses. When Father O’Malley finds her drawing a blank, he suggests a novel approach, that she write about the six senses. And so, besides writing about seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling and feeling, she adds “common sense” as the sixth sense. “If [a man] has common sense, he'll be happy by using these powers [these five senses] within reason.” It is common sense that tells you not to touch fire, not to look at explicit material, not to taste food that’s gone bad. Without common sense, the five senses are not very helpful. In the same way without the Beatitudes, the Commandments are simply external rules to be observed for the sake of observing them.
Each beatitude begins with the phrase "Blessed are. . ." and so promises true happiness or blessedness. And to achieve this blessedness, each beatitude has two parts: a condition to be observed, such as being "poor in spirit" and a result to be achieved, such as "for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven." And so each beatitude provides a recipe, if you like, for happiness or blessedness. But this blessedness is essentially life in the Kingdom of God, which begins here on earth and will be fulfilled in heaven.
And so with nine beatitudes we have nine ingredients for whipping up a really solid Christian life. And of course we could go through them one by one to hear the nuggets of wisdom that they have for us. But I would like rather to focus more on their central message, that "common sense" idea of Patsy's homework.
First, the Beatitudes are concerned with our happiness right here on earth. And so they suggest attitudes that will allow us to live fulfilled lives right here on earth:
- Perhaps you followed the hundreds of thousands of Catholic young people that travelled to Washington DC this past week, to March for life. Why would they do such a thing, travelling for hours and hours on a bus? Why would they be concerned about the life of unborn babies? I submit that these young people have heard the call of the Beatitude which says: "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied." They find satisfaction in righteousness and good.
- Similarly mercy brings blessedness to the giver of mercy as much as to the receiver of mercy. A life of mercy ignores the message to hate our enemy, to take vengeance on those who hurt us, and instead treat others better than they deserve, perhaps by forgiving them or by helping them in some way. Think of the mother whose only son has been murdered. While there is no commandment enjoining her to forgive this murderer, she does so, because she has heard the words: "Blessed are merciful."
- Closely related with mercy is the beatitude that calls blessed "the peacemakers" and promises that "they will be called children of God.” Such people live their lives, not by the hateful, dividing, wall-building ways of the world, but with an attitude of reconciliation, forgiveness and unity. The spouse who forgives the other for cheating on them, for example, is certainly living by this beatitude.
The Beatitudes provide a few more virtues for living life on this side of heaven such as poverty of spirit, meekness, and cleanness of heart. These virtues, depending on God rather than on themselves, humbling themselves before God and others, and generally having good hearts, bring us happiness here on earth. But they do more than that – they also prepare us for heaven. Jesus also says that for people who make these virtues the foundation of their lives, "theirs is the kingdom of heaven," "they will inherit the land," "they will see God." And so, the beatitudes provide first, a recipe for happiness here on earth, but secondly they also promise an even greater blessedness in heaven.
The third message of the Beatitudes has to do with suffering. For the pain caused by the human condition, such as illness, death and bereavement, the Beatitudes promise comfort, one which does not necessarily take away the pain, but allows us to bear it in faith and hope. And as for the suffering we receive because of persecution, especially because we live by the Beatitudes, not by the world, Jesus says: Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”
Christian Life
On All Saints Day last year, when we read the same gospel of the Beatitudes, Pope Francis described them as being “in some sense the Christian’s identity card,” identifying us as followers of Jesus. Then taking some artistic license, he composed what might be called new beatitudes for the modern age.
- "Blessed are those who remain faithful while enduring evils inflicted on them by others, and forgive them from their heart" [think of all the Christians who have been driven out of their homes in the Middle East].
- "Blessed are those who look into the eyes of the abandoned and marginalized, and show them their closeness" [think of that trafficked young woman, that widow and orphan in a war zone].
- "Blessed are those who see God in every person, and strive to make others also discover him" [think of the homeless man living on the street, the person of another race, another religion].
- "Blessed are those who protect and care for our common home" [think of avoiding wastage, give excess to others, rather let it go to the landfill]
- "Blessed are those who renounce their own comfort in order to help others" [the list of ways to do this is endless, but think of all those who serve the poor and needy].
- "Blessed are those who pray and work for full communion between Christians", [and I might add among various religions].
Conclusion
And so, perhaps we cannot name the nine beatitudes, even to save our lives. But that is not what Jesus wants us to do; rather the wants us to live by them and in that way not only save our lives truly, but also the lives of many others. Next time you go to confession, can you check how well you live by the Beatitudes?
