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Message from the desk of the Pastor:

THE SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Sunday, February 16, 2025

Gospel Reading 

Luke 6:17, 20-26

Jesus teaches the crowd the way to happiness.

Background on the Gospel Reading

Last Sunday we heard Jesus call Peter to be his disciple. Jesus then travels with Peter and the other disciples. Luke reports acts of healing (a person with leprosy    and a paralytic man) and the call of Levi, the tax collector. Jesus also replies              to questions from the Pharisees regarding fasting and the observance of the      Sabbath. In the verses immediately before today's gospel reading, Jesus is        reported to have chosen 12 men from among his disciples to be apostles.        Apostle is a Greek word that means “one who is sent.”

Today's gospel reading is the beginning of what is often called the Sermon on              the Plain. We find a parallel to this passage in Matthew 5:1-7,11 that is often        called the Sermon on the Mount. As these titles suggest, there are differences        and similarities between these gospel readings.

When spoken from the mountaintop in Matthew's Gospel, we can't miss the impression that Jesus is speaking with the authority and voice of God. The mountaintop is a symbol of closeness to God. Those who ascend the mountain      see God and speak for God; recall the story of Moses and the Ten Commandments. As Luke introduces the location of Jesus' teaching, Jesus teaches on level ground, alongside the disciples and the crowd. Luke presents Jesus' authority in a different light. He is God among us.

Another distinction found in Luke's version is the audience. Luke's Sermon on the Plain is addressed to Jesus' disciples, although in the presence of the crowd; Matthew's Sermon on the Mount is addressed to the crowd. In keeping with this  style, the Beatitudes in Luke's Gospel sound more personal than those in Matthew's Gospel—Luke uses the article “you” whereas Matthew uses “they” or “those.”        There is also a difference in number: Matthew describes eight beatitudes; Luke presents just four, each of which has a parallel warning.

The form of the Beatitudes found in Luke's and Matthew's Gospel is not unique          to Jesus. Beatitudes are found in the Old Testament, such as in the Psalms and          in Wisdom literature. They are a way to teach about who will find favor with God.    The word blessed in this context might be translated as “happy,” “fortunate,” or “favored.”

As we listen to this Gospel, the Beatitudes jar our sensibilities. Those who are      poor, hungry, weeping, or persecuted are called blessed. This is, indeed, a Gospel      of reversals. Those often thought to have been forgotten by God are called blessed. In the list of “woes,” those whom we might ordinarily describe as blessed by God    are warned about their peril. Riches, possessions, laughter, reputation . . . these are not things that we can depend upon as sources of eternal happiness. They not only fail to deliver on their promise; our misplaced trust in them will lead to our demise. The ultimate peril is in misidentifying the source of our eternal happiness.

The Beatitudes are often described as a framework for Christian living. Our      vocation as Christians is not to be first in this world, but rather to be first in the      eyes of God. We are challenged to examine our present situation in the context          of our ultimate horizon, the Kingdom of God.

Family Connection

Today's Gospel offers a contrast to many of the messages we hear in our society today. If we were to accept uncritically the “get ahead” messages of our culture,      we would think that happiness means having money, being successful, and having many possessions. In this way, we are not unlike the people who heard Jesus      teach on the day that he taught the Beatitudes. They too associated happiness      with possessions and success. The report of the Beatitudes in Luke's Gospel, however, takes things one step further. Not only will we not find happiness        through the “get ahead” messages of the world, but relying upon these messages  will cause us harm. The warnings spoken are particularly challenging because they suggest that our way of life must change if we are to gain the lasting happiness of eternal life.

Talk together as a family about what society tells us makes a person successful. Make a list of the traits that you associate with a successful person. Then read together today's Gospel, Luke 6:17,20-26. Reflect on Jesus' description of blessedness in the Kingdom of God. Then consider the warnings. Why are these surprising and challenging? What, then, is the measure of success in the Kingdom    of God? Together write prayers of petition based on your discussion. Pray these prayers together, asking God to help your family seek the blessings of the              Kingdom of God.