Homily Ordinary 4A: The Beatitudes provide us with a philosophy of life

 

Homily for 4^th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year A 2023

Introduction

“Blessed are the poor in spirit . . .  Blessed are the meek . . . Blessed are the merciful.”  What does Jesus mean by this word blessed?  For this word seems to have many different meanings.

For example, I have heard that in the South if someone says, “Bless your heart” that can mean different things.  Of course, it be a genuine expression of sympathy like when one says, “You have the flu, bless your heart.”  It can also communicate gratitude like, “You baked me a cake, bless your heart.”  But it can also be an expression of derision, as when one says, “You got a “C” on that exam? Bless his heart.” Surely, Jesus is not speaking about blessing in this sarcastic way.

Nor is he speaking about blessing in terms of doing well materially or being well physically as many people today think.  You will hear people say, “I am blessed” when something good happens to them, as if to suggest that those who are not doing well, the sick, the poor, are not blessed.  If this is our only understanding of blessing, then we are in for a shock. For the kind of people Jesus says are blessed are not doing well, at least not according to the standards of the world.

Scripture and Theology

For Jesus calls blessed the poor in spirit, not the rich; those who mourn, not those who laugh; the meek, not the self-assured; those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, not those who hunger and thirst for power.  He calls blessed the merciful, the clean of heart, the peacemakers, those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, those insulted and persecuted because of his name.  These lowly people are the blessed ones according to Jesus.

And there is good reason for Jesus reversing the order of values.  For he understands blessing in a very different way.  For Jesus, blessing means being holy, being like God, and being a friend of God.  And being holy comes from living in a certain way, a way pleasing to God.

That is why for each Beatitude, Jesus mentions a condition and a corresponding reward that comes from God.  For true blessings are not worldly rewards, but rather spiritual things, like being with God in heaven for eternity.

·        The poor in spirit will receive the kingdom of heaven.

·        Those who mourn will be comforted.

·        The meek, being, as they have not sought power and riches for themselves, they will inherit the land, the heavenly land.

·        Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, they will be satisfied and rewarded for their efforts especially in heaven.

·        As for the merciful, well because they showed mercy, they too will be shown mercy, which we all need on the Judgement Day.

·        The clean of heart, they will see God, because there will be nothing in them, not impurity, not sin, to impede their entry into God’s presence.

·        The peacemakers will be called children of God, sons and daughters of he who brings everlasting peace.

·        Those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness will receive the kingdom of heaven, the place where the righteous go.

·        Finally, for those who are insulted and persecuted because of Jesus, they should rejoice and be glad, for their reward will be great in heaven.

Now based on the standards of this world perhaps nobody is going to call blessed the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, the peacemakers, and the persecuted.  Or if they do, it will be the sarcastic Southern “bless your heart.”  But for Jesus these nine beatitudes are nine ingredients for whipping up a really solid Christian life, one that will be rewarded with a true blessing, which is life with God. 

Christian Life

How do we live the Beatitudes today?  How do we embody this reversal of values?

·        Perhaps you followed the thousands of Catholic young people that travelled to Washington DC this past week, some from our own area to the 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 hunger to promote life from womb to tomb.

·        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 enjoins us to treat others better than they deserve, forgiving them or 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, "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.

There are several other examples of how to live out the Beatitudes.  You might recall that on All Saints Day, we read this same gospel of the Beatitudes. Several years ago, reflecting on that gospel, Pope Francis took some artistic license and composed for us, what he called additional beatitudes for the modern age.

1.    "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].

2.    "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].

3.    "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, the person of another religion, the addict].

4.    "Blessed are those who protect and care for our common home" [think of avoiding wastage, giving excess to others, rather than let it go to the landfill]

5.    "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].

6.    "Blessed are those who pray and work for full communion between Christians", [think of the things we do with other Christians].

Conclusion

In his same reflection on All Saints Day, Pope Francis described the Beatitudes as being “in some sense the Christian’s identity card,” identifying us as followers of Jesus.  While most Christians think of the Ten Commandments as the ultimate moral guide, the fact is that what those commandments teach is not exactly unique to Christianity.  For starters, they are from the Old Testament. Also many of their injunctions can be found in other religions.

But the Beatitudes and that message of humility and willingness to suffer for Christ that they teach, that is uniquely Christian. Even more important they promise us heaven, everlasting life with God, if we live by them.

That is why we are celebrating the Eucharist, the memorial of the death and resurrection of Our Lord, perhaps the greatest Beatitude of all? We profit from our Lord Jesus, humbling himself and dying on the Cross, so that we have eternal life.