6th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Jeremiah 17:5-10; 1 Corinthians 15:12-20; Luke 6:17-26
In today's readings, we are reminded that there are things beyond us that we can not understand. The prophet Jeremiah fiercely reports "cursed be anyone who trusts in human beings, who relies on human strength and whose hearts turn away from the Lord." To rely on human strength, the attempt of us simple creatures is not only mindless but accursed according to Jeremiah, known as the "weeping Prophet." Mortal objective and mortal acts can only guide us so far. Faith dictates that we reach out above and beyond what we can experience or even distinguish. Faith stipulates that we extend ourselves to the Lord.
Paul, in his 1st letter to the church in Corinth, writes of the absolute necessity of the resurrection. "If Christ has not been raised from the dead, your faith is pointless, and you have not, after all, been released from your sins." "In addition, those who have fallen asleep are utterly lost." Paul's words about the importance of the resurrection lead us to think about where we see Jesus. The resurrection reverberates and agrees with our experiences, our past, and our very existence.
Let us now give emphasis to that extraordinary Gospel Text for the day, the Beatitudes. The words of the Beatitudes become a way of life when we let them sweep over us as we reconcile ourselves to the poor, the hungry, and those who thirst for righteousness. Through the eight Beatitudes, Jesus teaches us all of the virtues and values in life that will result in blessings and rewards.
Sr. Bridget Mary Troy, OP
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